United States Deports First Migrants to Liberia Under New Deal

The Government of the United States deported 20 people to Liberia on Thursday, marking the first flight under a new agreement where Liberia will accept up to 1,200 third-country migrants. The deportees arrived at Roberts International Airport near Monrovia and include nationals from Africa, North America, South America, and the Caribbean. Liberian Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah noted that most of the individuals hail from Latin American countries, including Colombia, Cuba, and Venezuela.

In exchange for the arrangement, the U.S. extended visitor visas for Liberian citizens from 12 to 36 months and provided financial assistance. Reports on the funding vary, with some citing $5 million specifically for migration management and others stating total assistance reaches $124 million.

Immigration lawyers and critics argue these third-country deals create legal loopholes to bypass asylum protections and indirectly force migrants back to their home countries. In Maryland, a Salvadoran national named Kilmar Abrego Garcia is currently fighting a court-ordered deportation to Liberia in a federal lawsuit. The Trump administration maintains that these policies are a priority to end illegal mass immigration.