Trump Administration's $40M Third-Country Deportation Policy

The Trump administration spent at least $40 million to deport approximately 300 migrants to countries other than their own, a practice expanded to quickly remove immigrants from the United States. A report by the Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led by Jeanne Shaheen, criticized this 'third country' policy as 'costly, wasteful and poorly monitored.' The United States===United States Department of State defended the practice as part of Donald Trump's campaign to end illegal immigration. Lump sum payments ranging from $4.7 million to $7.5 million were made to countries like Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini, and Palau. El Salvador received about 250 Venezuelan nationals. Immigration advocacy groups have criticized the policy for violating due process rights and stranding deportees in countries with human rights issues. The report also highlighted instances where the United States paid for migrants to be returned to their home countries after being deported to a third country, indicating inefficiency. Questions were raised about the benefits received by countries accepting deportees, with South Sudan requesting support for prosecuting an opposition leader and sanctions relief. A $7.5 million payment to Equatorial Guinea coincided with the Trump administration developing ties with its Vice President, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, who is accused of corruption.