Liberia deal tests the expanding reach of US deportations

WASHINGTON (MNTV) — Liberia has agreed to accept up to 1,200 people deported from the United States over the next year, one of the largest known “third-country” deportation arrangements reached by the Trump administration, intensifying debate over sending migrants to countries where they may have no ties.

The Liberian government said the first group of 20 deportees was expected to arrive Thursday, describing the arrangement as a humanitarian program in which the migrants would be treated as guests and allowed to leave or seek asylum. 

It insisted the deal involved no financial or political exchange, though it acknowledged the U.S. would provide support to manage the program and strengthen Liberia’s migration system.

The agreement reflects a broader strategy to speed deportations by persuading third countries to accept migrants who cannot easily be returned home. 

More than 30 countries have reportedly entered similar arrangements since Trump’s second term began, according to Human Rights First. 

Rights groups argue such transfers can expose vulnerable people to detention and inadequate legal protection, and question whether migrants can meaningfully consent when the alternative is prolonged detention.

The deal drew added attention because the administration has sought to send Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to Liberia. 

Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident wrongly deported to El Salvador last year and later returned after months in prison, faced human-smuggling charges that a judge dismissed as an abuse of prosecutorial authority. 

His lawyers are contesting any transfer to Liberia, proposing Costa Rica — which they say has agreed to accept him — instead. 

The arrangement, experts say, risks turning vulnerable people into subjects of international bargaining without adequate regard for their safety or legal status.