US Deports People to Liberia Under New Third-Country Deal
You are fighting your deportation case in immigration court — and now you learn the US can send you to a country you have never set foot in. On Thursday, the first flight under a new US-Liberia deal landed in Monrovia, carrying 20 deportees who are not all Liberian. The agreement allows up to 1,200 people from across the Americas, Africa, and the Caribbean to be sent there — and it is now the largest third-country deportation arrangement the Trump administration has signed.
You are in removal proceedings, and you have heard that the US is now sending people to countries they have never lived in — not just their home country. That fear is real. On Thursday, August 14, 2026, a flight carrying 20 deportees landed at Roberts International Airport outside Monrovia, Liberia, marking the start of the largest single third-country deportation arrangement the Trump administration has made so far.
What the Liberia deal actually means
Under the agreement, Liberia agreed to accept up to 1,200 people — not only Liberian nationals. Liberia's information minister, Jerolinmek Piah, confirmed the group will include nationals from Africa, North America, South America, and the Caribbean. Liberia's justice minister, Natu Oswald Tweh, said most deportees had committed migration-related violations. He added they could apply for asylum in Liberia if they chose to. In exchange, the US extended visitor visas for Liberians from 12 to 36 months and pledged $124 million in assistance.
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A report by Refugees International and Human Rights First found the Trump administration has reached deals with at least 35 countries and sent roughly 23,000 people to 26 of them as of early August 2026. A February 2026 Senate Foreign Relations Committee report by Democratic members found the administration paid more than $32 million to five governments — several with poor human rights records — to accept about 300 third-country deportees. The report found more than 80% of those sent to third countries had since returned to their home countries anyway, often at further cost to US taxpayers. The State Department disputed that report's characterization of its enforcement record.
Immigration lawyers say the administration uses third-country deportations as a legal workaround to push asylum seekers back toward the countries they fled — without directly deporting them there. In documented cases, people with US court-ordered protections were removed to Ghana and Equatorial Guinea, then sent onward to their home countries within days. That means a court order protecting you from deportation to your home country may not protect you from being sent somewhere else first.
What to do
- If you are in removal proceedings, tell your immigration attorney immediately that you fear being sent to a third country — not just your home country. Your attorney can argue that removal to any country where you face danger violates your legal protections.
- If you have a court order (called a "withholding of removal" or protection under the Convention Against Torture), document it carefully and keep a copy with you. These orders are supposed to prevent removal to specific countries, but lawyers say the administration has removed people in violation of them.
- If you do not have a lawyer, contact a nonprofit immigration legal services organization in your area. Many provide free or low-cost help for people in removal proceedings.
- Follow updates from Refugees International and Human Rights First, which are actively tracking third-country deportation agreements as they are announced.
What to do, step by step — see our guide “Appealing to the BIA”.
Fishkin Law Firm, New York
Third-country deportations create a serious legal gap: a withholding of removal order protects you from being sent to a specific country, but it does not automatically block removal to a third country where you may also face danger. If you have any court-ordered protection, your attorney should file an emergency motion the moment you receive a removal notice to a country not covered by your order. Anyone currently in proceedings should ask their lawyer to document fear of third-country removal in the record now — waiting until a flight is scheduled is often too late. Consult an immigration attorney before your next court date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the US deport me to a country I have never lived in?
Yes. The Trump administration has signed deals with at least 35 countries to accept deportees who are not their own nationals. A report by Refugees International and Human Rights First found roughly 23,000 people were sent to 26 such countries as of early August 2026. Immigration lawyers say this is used to indirectly return people to the countries they fled.
If I have a court order protecting me from deportation, am I safe from third-country removal?
Not necessarily. A withholding of removal order or Convention Against Torture protection covers specific countries named in the order. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee report found that some people with US court-ordered protections were still removed to Ghana and Equatorial Guinea, then sent to their home countries within days. Talk to a lawyer immediately if you have such an order.
What happens to people sent to Liberia under this deal?
Liberia's justice minister said most deportees committed migration-related violations and that they may apply for asylum in Liberia if they wish. However, advocates note that in most third-country deportation cases, more than 80% of people eventually return to their home countries anyway, often because they have no real ties to the country they were sent to.
Did the US pay Liberia to accept deportees?
The US pledged $124 million in assistance to Liberia and extended visitor visas for Liberian nationals from 12 to 36 months as part of the deal. A separate Senate report found the administration paid over $32 million to five other governments to accept about 300 third-country deportees — including $1.1 million per person to Rwanda for seven deportees.