US Spent $40 Million on 300 Deportations to Third Nations

Democratic report finds Trump administration's practice of deporting migrants to third countries was costly and poorly monitored

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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A report by Democratic senators found that the Trump administration spent at least $40 million to deport roughly 300 migrants to countries other than their own, a practice that has been criticized as 'costly, wasteful and poorly monitored'. The report details lump sum payments made to countries like Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini and Palau to accept these deportees, and raises concerns about the lack of transparency and potential human rights violations involved.

Why it matters

The report highlights the controversial 'third country' deportation policy pursued by the Trump administration, which has faced criticism from immigration advocates for violating due process rights and potentially stranding deportees in countries with poor human rights records. The findings also raise questions about the costs and effectiveness of this practice compared to directly deporting migrants to their home countries.

The details

According to the Democratic report, the Trump administration made lump sum payments ranging from $4.7 million to $7.5 million to five countries to accept deported migrants. While El Salvador received around 250 Venezuelan nationals, the other nations received far fewer deportees, from 29 sent to Equatorial Guinea to none sent to Palau. The report also found instances of migrants being deported to a third country, only for the US to later pay for another flight to return them to their home country.

  • The report was compiled by the Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in February 2026.
  • The payments to the five countries examined in the report were made over the last year as the Trump administration expanded the practice of third country deportations.

The players

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen

The lead Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who oversaw the report.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Defended the third country deportation policy as part of the Trump administration's campaign to end illegal immigration.

Teodoro 'Teddy' Nguema Obiang

The vice president of Equatorial Guinea, who has been accused of corruption and a lavish lifestyle that has attracted the attention of prosecutors in several countries.

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What they’re saying

“We've arrested people that are members of gangs and we've deported them. We don't want gang members in our country.”

— Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Senate hearing)

“In many cases, migrants could have been returned directly to their countries of origin, avoiding unnecessary flights and additional costs.”

— Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (Statement)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This report highlights the controversial and costly 'third country' deportation policy pursued by the Trump administration, which has faced criticism for violating due process rights and potentially stranding deportees in countries with poor human rights records. The findings raise questions about the transparency and effectiveness of this practice compared to directly deporting migrants to their home countries.