Liberia has agreed to receive a maximum of 1,200 third-country deportees from the United States within the next year, with an initial batch of 20 individuals set to arrive on Thursday, according to a statement from the government. The announcement from the Liberian government on Tuesday stated that the deportees will consist of individuals from African and Western Hemisphere nations who have been medically cleared for travel. Specific details regarding the nationalities of the deportees were not immediately provided, as the U.S. State Department typically refrains from disclosing such information.
Under previous U.S. immigration practices, the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of individuals to countries where their human rights may be at risk, was upheld both in domestic immigration law and through international agreements. However, since the start of President Donald Trump’s administration in January 2025, the U.S. has engaged in agreements with various African nations and others worldwide to deport individuals whom they cannot legally return to their countries of origin. These third-country deportation arrangements have been defended by Washington as lawful, with limited interference from the judiciary despite some criticisms regarding the lack of notice provided to deportees.
Immigration attorneys have noted that the Trump administration utilizes third-country deportations as a legal workaround, often resulting in individuals being sent to unfamiliar places, leaving them with little recourse except to find their way back to their home countries. Liberian President Joseph Boakai was part of a delegation of West African leaders who visited the White House last year, where Trump reportedly encouraged them to accept third-country deportees.
In its recent statement, Liberia emphasized that the deportees would be treated as guests with the freedom to depart at their discretion and the option to seek asylum within Liberia. The government clarified that there were no explicit agreements or demands for compensation from Washington for accepting the deportees.
Several Senate Democrats have raised concerns about the exploitative nature of such agreements, citing costs to American taxpayers incurred through deals with countries like Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini, and Palau. They alleged that deportation was being utilized as a bargaining tool, involving secret payments and concessions to pressure countries into compliance.
Other African nations, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Ghana, and Sierra Leone, have also accepted third-country deportees from the U.S. as part of similar agreements. The deportations are part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to reduce the foreign-born population in the U.S., which includes urging unauthorized individuals to voluntarily leave the country and revoking visas from foreign nationals.