According to Grist, Guam’s governor has no formal say over who mines the waters around the US territory. The report frames this as modern-day colonialism: Washington holds authority over the seabed, while the island’s elected leader is left out of the decision-making process.
The Trump administration is pushing to expand deep-sea mining in the Pacific, and Guam’s territorial status makes it easier for federal officials to proceed without local consent. The article highlights how Pacific islands can be treated as resource frontiers rather than as political equals in US policy.