Trump's Deportation Deals Reshape U.S. Foreign Policy

The administration is cutting deals with countries willing to take migrants who can't be sent back to their own nations.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 9:24pm

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A conceptual, abstract painting in a fractured, geometric style, with overlapping waves of dark blue, grey, and red colors, depicting the silhouette of a person being deported, conveying the chaotic and disruptive nature of the administration's deportation policies.The Trump administration's push for mass deportations has reshaped U.S. foreign policy, empowering authoritarian leaders in exchange for accepting deportees.NYC Today

The Trump administration has increasingly turned to cutting deals with countries willing to take migrants who can't be deported to their home countries, a new investigation by The New York Times has found. These 'third-country deportations' have become a priority for the White House, with American diplomats putting nearly everything on the negotiating table - including payments, visa changes, and even sanctions relief - to persuade foreign governments to accept the deportees.

Why it matters

This new approach to deportations has thrown people into legal systems with little regard for human rights, while also reshaping U.S. foreign policy to prioritize immigration enforcement over other diplomatic concerns. The deals have empowered some of the world's most authoritarian leaders, who are receiving American support in exchange for taking in deportees.

The details

In March 2025, the U.S. deported over 200 Venezuelans to El Salvador, not their home country, in exchange for millions of dollars paid to the Salvadoran government. This was one of the first major examples of the 'third-country deportations' now being pursued by the Trump administration. The deals often send migrants to places they have no ties to, and where human rights and civil liberties are not strongly protected. American diplomats have been instructed to use a range of incentives, including financial support, visa changes, and even sanctions relief, to convince foreign governments to accept these deportees.

  • In March 2025, the U.S. deported over 200 Venezuelans to El Salvador.
  • In February 2026, the State Department issued a cable instructing diplomats on how to persuade foreign countries to accept more deportees.

The players

Nayib Bukele

The president of El Salvador, who already had a reputation for human rights abuses, received millions of dollars in exchange for taking in the deported Venezuelans.

Marco Rubio

The U.S. Secretary of State whose office issued the cable instructing diplomats on negotiating deportation deals with foreign countries.

Eileen Sullivan

A Washington reporter for The New York Times who investigated these deportation deals.

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What they’re saying

“'The difference is that they're all on the same page now. Every single cabinet agency knows that immigration and the deportation agenda is the top priority.'”

— Eileen Sullivan, Washington reporter, The New York Times

What’s next

The Trump administration is in ongoing negotiations to expand these deportation deals to additional countries, including the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Rwanda, Equatorial Guinea, and Eswatini.

The takeaway

The Trump administration's singular focus on ramping up deportations has led it to prioritize immigration enforcement over other diplomatic concerns, empowering some of the world's most authoritarian leaders in exchange for accepting deportees. This new approach to deportations has thrown migrants into legal systems with little regard for human rights, reshaping U.S. foreign policy in the process.