José Cesário was speaking at the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Portuguese Communities of the Assembly of the Republic, where he is being heard at the request of the PS to provide clarifications on the situation of the Portuguese community residing in the United States, in light of Donald Trump's intentions.

Socialist deputy Paulo Pisco began by stating that his party does not agree with the government's strategy in managing the situation, which is to “play dead,” he said.

He claimed that Portuguese people in the United States feel abandoned and that consulates should be providing legal advice.

Cesário admitted that there are no exact figures on the Portuguese at risk of deportation from the United States, recalling that there are 360 ​​who have already exceeded the 90 days of temporary stay granted under the 'visa waiver' (a program that allows business or tourism trips without the need for a prior visa for a period of 90 days) and around 4 thousand who the Senate identified as overstaying.

There are currently 24 Portuguese people detained in the United States, with the United Kingdom, Switzerland and France being the countries with the most Portuguese people detained, as stated by José Cesário, who added that the United Kingdom and France are the countries from which the most Portuguese people are deported.

The governor also said that he has maintained permanent contact with community leaders and that the strategy is to “help, but not with alarmism”. In this sense, he stated, the embassy and consular posts have instructions to help Portuguese people who ask for help, which he said has not yet happened.

José Cesário revealed that the hiring of the services of a law firm to provide legal assistance to Portuguese people who need it is at an advanced stage.

“How to get the message across is my first concern,” said the governor, who called for proactivity from services and even from deputies, whenever they become aware of situations that require support.

Still, he admitted that “serious problems” could arise, but that, for now, they do not result in deportations, with none having been recorded since Trump’s announcement.

Currently, only one Portuguese citizen who is being held will be deported to Portugal, but it is “an old situation”, involving a citizen who had already been deported in the past and who insisted on entering the country, he said.

José Cesário said he did not understand why opposition parties had not expressed similar concerns about deportations when, in the past, the numbers had been much higher.

And he recalled that in 2016, 51 Portuguese were deported from the United States to Portugal, 61 in 2017, 91 in 2018 and 81 in 2019. In 2023, 19 Portuguese were deported and the same number in 2024.

Marisa Matias (BE) stated that “the situation is not the same”, with which José Cesário agreed.