Trump Administration Deportations to 3rd Countries Cost Taxpayers 'Upward of $40M': Report

Democratic congressional report finds high costs and lack of oversight in Trump's third-country deportation program.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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A report by Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee found that the Trump administration's deportations to third countries last year cost taxpayers 'upward of $40 million,' with some third-country migrants costing more than $1 million each. The report also highlighted an apparent lack of oversight in monitoring foreign governments' compliance, especially with countries that have high records of human rights violations and corruption.

Why it matters

The findings raise concerns about the high costs and questionable practices of the Trump administration's controversial policy of deporting migrants to third countries, which critics argue wastes taxpayer money and lacks proper oversight to ensure the safety and rights of deportees.

The details

The report found that over $32 million was sent directly to Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini, and Palau, with some funds sent before any third-country national arrived. It also noted that the administration frequently used military aircraft costing over $32,000 per hour to transport migrants, and at times paid twice for migrants' travel - once to remove them to a third country and then again to fly them to their home country.

  • The report analyzed deportations undertaken by the Trump administration last year.
  • As of January 2026, Rwanda had received seven third-country nationals, with each migrant costing approximately $1.1 million.
  • El Salvador had received the most migrants, with approximately 250 third country nationals costing $20,755 per migrant.

The players

Trump Administration

The former presidential administration of Donald Trump, which implemented a controversial policy of deporting migrants to third countries.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee

A U.S. Senate committee that conducted a 10-month review of the Trump administration's third-country deportations, resulting in the report.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen

The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who criticized the Trump administration's policy as the 'epitome' of 'fraud, waste and abuse.'

Tommy Pigott

A spokesman for the State Department, who defended the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts.

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What they’re saying

“Contrary to what they might have hoped, this report only underlines much of the unprecedented work that the Trump administration has done to enforce our immigration laws. Astonishingly, some in Congress still want to go back to a time just 14 months ago when cartels had free rein to poison Americans and our border was open.”

— Tommy Pigott, State Department spokesman (wbal.com)

“This report outlines the troubling practice by the Trump Administration of deporting individuals to third countries — places where these people have no connection — at great expense to the American taxpayer and raises serious questions.”

— Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Top Democrat on Senate Foreign Relations Committee (wbal.com)

What’s next

The report recommends increased oversight and transparency in the Trump administration's third-country deportation program to ensure taxpayer funds are not being misused or enabling human rights abuses.

The takeaway

The high costs and lack of oversight in the Trump administration's controversial third-country deportation program raise concerns about the program's effectiveness and impact, underscoring the need for greater accountability and scrutiny of such immigration enforcement policies.