US deports 20 people to Liberia, the first of 1,200 migrants under Trump deal
Agreement is among largest third-country deportations driven by Trump administration’s immigration crackdown
TL;DR
- Twenty deportees arrived in Liberia from the US on Thursday.
- This is part of an agreement for Liberia to receive up to 1,200 deportees under the Trump administration's immigration policies.
- The deportees will include African nationals as well as those from North America, South America, and the Caribbean.
- The US has agreed to extend visitor visas for Liberians and provide $124 million in assistance.
- Immigration lawyers suggest these third-country deportations are a loophole to force asylum seekers back to their home countries.
- A report indicates that thousands have been deported to nearly two dozen countries not their own, with many facing safety risks or returning home.
- A Senate report criticized the administration for paying governments to accept deportees, some with poor human rights records, and found many deportees later returned home at further taxpayer cost.