Liberia to accept 1,200 US deportees amid Trump immigration crackdown

Liberia prepares to host up to 1,200 deportees from the United States over the coming year, as President Donald Trump's administration ramps up its immigration crackdown. The Liberian government announced the plan on Tuesday, revealing that a first batch of 20 deportees will arrive in the West African nation on Thursday. The recipients will be granted the freedom to depart Liberia at their discretion or to seek asylum if they prefer to stay.

This move aligns with a larger US policy adopted during the Trump presidency, which has increasingly employed third countries to house migrants being expelled from the United States, regardless of their citizenship status. The New York Times previously highlighted that the US administration contemplated sending Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who gained prominence in the mass deportation discourse, to another country after an error led to his deportation to El Salvador.

Several African nations, including Ghana and Equatorial Guinea, have also played a role in the US deportation effort, serving as transit points for deportees before their eventual return to their countries of origin. Two former US State Department officials revealed that Washington had employed tactics, such as visa restrictions and bans, to persuade African governments to welcome deportees from third countries.

However, Liberia emphasized that its decision was not motivated by any financial gain or special incentive from the United States. The government explicitly stated that it neither solicited nor received compensation or promises of benefits in exchange for its participation in the program. Instead, Liberia will receive support to manage the arrangement and enhance its overall migration management system, describing the initiative as humanitarian in nature.

The US State Department did not comment on the agreement. Liberia, with its historical ties to the United States, was established in the 19th century with the assistance of a US-based organization that advocated for the resettlement of formerly enslaved individuals and free-born African Americans in Africa.