In an addendum to his initial post, Musk elaborated that under his policy, deportees could potentially return to the United States after spending sufficient time in the designated country to gain firsthand insight into its culture and way of life. He stated, “I’m not saying they can’t come back, but they have to experience that country for some period of time before returning.”

Responding to Musk’s proposal, some commentators drew parallels between flag-related gestures in Congress and suggested extending similar considerations to politicians. For instance, Tennessee Republican Robby Starbuck proposed an additional program where American communists could be exchanged for refugees from communist regimes.

However, not all reactions were favorable. Critics argued that Musk’s idea appeared to infringe upon free speech principles, challenging the notion of penalizing individuals for expressing dissent. The contentious nature of this issue was further exacerbated by a recent incident at UNC, where protesters attempted to remove the American flag but were thwarted by members of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. Guillermo Estrada, a student and Pi Kappa Phi member, recounted the incident, describing how they defended the flag against hostility for over an hour.