“Our country respects the laws of the United States, and we are working closely with the U.S. authorities to take care of the situation,” said Hamba Manneh, counselor at the Gambian embassy.

The Gambia has refused to accept nearly 2,000 people the U.S. is trying to deport, forcing the Obama administration to pull the trigger and refuse to grant visas to some Gambians hoping to visit the U.S., the State Department said this weekend. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson took the decisive move after years of prodding …