Trump team has spent more than $40 million to send migrants to nations they’ve never lived in, report says

Over the past year, the Trump administration has spent upwards of $40 million to relocate migrants to far-flung countries where they have no connection, according to a new report.

The 35-page analysis — released by Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Friday — alleges that officials undermined U.S. interests by funneling money to corrupt foreign governments in return for their acceptance of migrants.

“This report outlines the troubling practice by the Trump Administration of deporting individuals to third countries…at great expense to the American taxpayer and raises serious questions,” New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said in a statement.

Democrats wrote that since taking office last year, Trump has dramatically expanded the removal of migrants to third countries — nations where they have no citizenship or native ties. Previously, this policy was rarely implemented.

In order to incentivize foreign governments to enter deportation deals with the U.S., the administration has given more than $32 million to five countries: Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini and Palau. Lawmakers said the total amount given to foreign nations is unknown, but that it is probably more than $40 million.

open image in gallery

Under these agreements, more than 200 Venezuelan men were deported last spring to a prison in El Salvador — which has faced allegations of human rights abuses — despite federal court orders that blocked the flights and ordered their returns. By July, most of those detainees were released to their home country as part of a U.S.-Venezuela prisoner swap after spending months in lock-up.

That same month, a memo from the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement said that the agency can expedite deportations to third countries with as little as six hours’ notice, The Independent previously reported. It came after the Supreme Court ruled that the government can “immediately” begin deporting immigrants to so-called third countries.

The new Senate report was quickly dismissed by the White House.

“The entire Trump Administration is working to lawfully deliver on President Trump’s mandate to enforce federal immigration law and carry out the largest mass deportation campaign of criminal illegal aliens in history,” Trump spokesperson Abigail Jackson told The Independent.

open image in gallery

The Senate Democrats’ analysis outlined several ways that the administration’s use of third-country removals has “undermined” American interests.

Firstly, they labeled the program as “expensive and ineffective,” noting that the government has spent millions of dollars to remove a small number of people — sometimes paying seven-figure sums per person. As of January, the five countries paid $32 million had only accepted about 300 migrants from the U.S.

The report also claims the Trump administration wasted taxpayer dollars, as many migrants sent to third countries have since fled. As of last month, more than 80 percent of those deported under the program had returned to their countries of origin or were in the process of leaving.

Further, Democrats accused the Republican administration of channeling money to corrupt governments without conducting proper oversight. These regimes have records of human rights abuses and human trafficking, the report says, adding that there is no indication the State Department is tracking where the money is being spent.

“The Trump Administration is putting millions of taxpayer dollars into the hands of foreign governments, while turning a blind eye to the human costs and potentially undermining our diplomatic relationships,” Shaheen said. “For an Administration that claims to be reigning in fraud, waste and abuse, this policy is the epitome of all three.”

Lastly, Senate Democrats wrote that the administration may be flouting existing U.S. immigration laws.

“Evidence suggests the Administration is using third countries to carry out removals that U.S. law would otherwise prohibit, such as sending protected individuals onward to countries where they may face persecution or death,” they wrote.