Liberia has been placed on a proposed list of 51 countries the United States may use as destinations for deporting non-citizens, including individuals with criminal records. The proposal, originating from the administration of former President Donald Trump, was recently reported by The New York Times as part of a sweeping immigration enforcement plan.
The initiative seeks to pressure foreign governments into accepting third-party nationals, people who are not citizens of the receiving country, being deported from the United States. Liberia, alongside countries like Angola, Ukraine, Mongolia, Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt, Djibouti, and the conflict-stricken Democratic Republic of Congo, is reportedly among the countries considered.
Critics argue that Liberia, already grappling with a fragile economy and under-resourced public services, is in no position to receive deportees, especially those with no ties to the country.
The move is tied to Trump’s 2024 campaign promise to launch what he described as “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history,” targeting millions of undocumented immigrants. While seven countries, including Rwanda, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, and Kosovo, have already agreed to take in deportees, others like Peru, Angola, and Burkina Faso have refused, according to The Times.
In some cases, the U.S. has reportedly paid hefty sums to incentivize cooperation, Rwanda, for instance, received $100,000 to accept a single Iraqi deportee, and more deals are reportedly underway.
Framing the plan as a crackdown on crime and border security, Trump officials have not provided clear evidence that the majority of deportees are criminals. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the strategy during a recent cabinet meeting, bluntly stating:
“We are working with other countries to say, ‘We want to send you some of the most despicable human beings to your countries, and will you do that as a favor to us?’ And the farther away from America the better, so they can’t come back across the border.”
Legal experts and human rights advocates have condemned the policy, warning that it bypasses due process and risks placing individuals in dangerous or unfamiliar environments. Many deportees have no connection to the receiving country, no family, and may face severe human rights violations.
Earlier this year, U.S. efforts to deport individuals to conflict zones like Libya and South Sudan were temporarily blocked by a federal court. However, a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision affirmed the administration’s authority to remove noncitizens to third countries, potentially reviving such plans.
“Time to get the deportation planes ready,” Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin posted on social media following the ruling.
In Liberia, public commentary on the matter remains limited. When contacted by FrontPage Africa and New Narratives, U.S. embassy spokesman Raymond Stephens declined to comment on bilateral discussions. Liberia’s Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti recently acknowledged that officials are engaged on the issue, especially given the country’s high visa overstay rate in the U.S., a factor that may have placed Liberia on the radar.
According to a 2023 U.S. Homeland Security report, one in four Liberians on temporary U.S. visas overstayed. The Washington Post reported that Liberia is also on a separate list of 36 nations whose citizens may face travel bans if cooperation on deportation is not improved. Neighboring Sierra Leone is among countries already affected by the restrictions.
President Joseph Boakai has since formed a high-level task force, chaired by himself, to address the rising concerns over Liberia’s international image and its immigration cooperation policies.
Human rights groups say the U.S. plan undermines its historic role as a refuge for the persecuted. Mark Hetfield, head of refugee agency HIAS, told The Times:
“Imagine being deported to a country where you don’t know the language, have no family, no cultural ties, and where human rights abuses are widespread. That’s what the Trump administration is pushing for, and it’s deeply troubling.”
As diplomatic discussions continue behind closed doors, many in Liberia are left asking: How did a country once seen as a beacon of hope for the displaced become a proposed dumping ground for the world’s unwanted?
Credit: The New York Times
