May 5, 2025 / 10:50 AM EDT / CBS News
The Trump administration has reached out to distant countries like Angola and Equatorial Guinea to assist in its deportation efforts, as revealed by internal federal government documents obtained by CBS News.
These negotiations form part of a broader diplomatic push by the Trump administration to persuade various nations, even those with questionable human rights records, to accept deportees from the U.S., including individuals whose home countries refuse to take them back.
While agreements have already been made with several Latin American countries to accept non-citizen deportees, the Trump administration is now exploring options to deport individuals to countries in Africa and Europe.
Potential countries identified for deportations include Angola, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Libya, Moldova, and Rwanda, although formal agreements have not yet been announced.
The Trump administration's push for deportation deals with distant countries raises legal, political, and humanitarian concerns, including the treatment of deportees in countries that are not their own.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the administration's efforts to find countries willing to accept deportees from third countries, emphasizing the goal of deterring unauthorized migration to the U.S.
Camilo Montoya-Galvez contributed to this report.
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