Overview:
A scathing open letter challenges Palau’s decision to accept up to 75 deportees in exchange for $7.5 million, calling the move a sale of national dignity rather than a solution to labor shortages. The writer argues that real answers lie in raising wages, investing in Palauans, and bringing citizens home—not importing workers under another country’s enforcement priorities.
Dear Editor, I wanted to start in January 2026 to write about all the possibilities in 2026 but I had to respond below to this end of year announcement.
The announcement that Palau will accept up to 75 deportees for $7.5 million should make every Palauan sit up and ask: what have we traded for this check? Calling this a solution to “labor shortages” is a convenient spin. Real solutions are built, not bought. We can recruit, train, and bring home our own people if our leaders had a plan to stabilize the economy and create opportunities. Instead, we have a deal that smells like a quick sale of our dignity.
Let us be blunt. You sold the soul of Palau for $7.5 million. You are sleeping with dogs who deport people with no criminal records and call it cooperation. You can spin it any way you like, but this is your decision — not the people’s. We did not ask for deportees. We asked for leadership that brings Palauans home, not strangers who answer to another country’s enforcement priorities.
The reason we have a labor problem is not that workers do not exist. Palauans go to the U.S. because they can make triple the pay and avoid the heavy burden of customary obligations. If our leaders truly cared, they would raise wages, invest in local industries, and create incentives for Palauans abroad to return. Instead, you chose the easiest route: take a check and import labor. Who will hire these deportees? Where will they live? Who benefits? We know the answers — and it is not the struggling Palauan family making less than $15,000 a year.
You say this will help civil service pensions and law enforcement. Fine. But why not use foreign aid to build capacity: training centers, wage subsidies for Palauan hires, housing for returning families, and programs that raise incomes? Instead, you handed over a deal that looks like a bargain for someone else’s convenience and our long‑term loss.
This is not just policy; it is betrayal. You act like the U.S. President’s friend, signing memoranda and praising enforcement priorities while our people suffer. You behave like you were never raised to respect our traditions. You spit in the face of our chiefs and our congress when you ignore their voices and make unilateral decisions. You were never about helping Palauans — it was always about helping yourself and your circle.
I will not spend my money in any business that benefits you and this deal, and I call on others to consider the same. A boycott that hits the pockets of those who profit from this arrogance may be the only language they understand. This is a small community; we can make our choices felt.
You remind me of Judas in Matthew 26:14–16 — “What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?” Thirty pieces of silver. You took your price. I hope you are happy with your prize.
Palau deserves leaders who build, not sell. We deserve leaders who bring our people home, who raise wages, who respect our traditions, and who put Palauans first. If you cannot do that, step aside. We will never forget.
Your Humble Servant
Dudalm Kelulau
The Silent Majority
by Dudalm Kelulau
alkahalic6801@gmail.com
Editor’s Note: The following is an opinion letter submitted by a Palauan citizen. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Island Times.