The Trump administration continued its crackdown on undocumented immigrants yesterday by shipping the Statue of Liberty back to France.

After months of legal challenges, the statue’s defence team had exhausted all legal and illegal options and was left with no choice but to give her up to the authorities.

The statue, which was donated to the USA by France in 1886, has been dismantled and its parts stored on the Panamanian freighter Haven on Earth.

“We take immigration very seriously let me tell you,” President Trump told assembled press yesterday evening. “She’s not coming back. I guarantee it.”

The development is a major blow to rhetoricians across the country, who often cited “The New Colossus”, a sonnet at the statue’s base, when making the case for a more open, loving world. A new plaque is to be installed bearing the Franz Kafka quote, “In man’s struggle against the world, bet on the world.”

The rest of the statue’s old Ellis Island site is to be redeveloped with decadent apartments for the super rich.

France is said to be rather hurt by the whole affair and is exploring options to keep the statue in storage so no-one need be reminded of painful memories.