The Trump administration is intensifying its efforts to find new destinations for migrants facing deportation from the United States, targeting several African nations as part of its broader immigration crackdown and foreign policy realignment. According to an internal document reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. has proposed deals to Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Gabon, and Guinea-Bissau, urging them to accept deported third-country nationals—many of whom are not originally from those countries.

Deportation Diplomacy: Migration for Minerals

The proposals were delivered just as the five West African leaders arrived in Washington for a summit focused on economic and security cooperation. While the official agenda highlighted trade and investment, behind the scenes, the U.S. linked deportation agreements to future commercial partnerships.

President Trump made reference to the issue during the summit’s opening remarks: “I hope we can bring down the high rates of people overstaying visas and also make progress on the safe third country agreements.”

According to the document, recipient countries must agree not to return migrants “to their home country or country of former habitual residence until a final decision has been made” on their U.S. asylum claims—effectively turning these nations into temporary holding grounds.

Enforcement Meets Incentive

The White House’s push includes incentives for cooperation. U.S. diplomats were reportedly told to stress that assisting in migrant relocation was a priority for Trump and essential to strengthening commercial ties. One official involved said this was “the most important issue” for the president during the summit.

The effort echoes a previous U.S. deal with Panama, where a planeload of over 100 migrants—mostly Middle Eastern—was sent earlier this year. In another instance, U.S. authorities attempted to send eight migrants to South Sudan in May, though only one of them had been born there. All were convicted criminals in the U.S.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the administration, allowing deportations to third countries to proceed despite legal challenges.

Africa Responds with Caution

None of the African leaders explicitly mentioned the deportation requests in public remarks, and their embassies did not respond to WSJ inquiries. Some nations, like Liberia, are still grappling with the recent dissolution of USAID—previously a major source of funding, now replaced by Trump’s investment-first approach.

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani highlighted his country’s strategic geography and rare earth reserves, pitching them as reasons for deeper ties with Washington. Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye humorously suggested Trump build a golf course in his country.

Broader Implications

The administration is exploring similar migration deals with other nations, including Libya, Rwanda, Benin, Eswatini, Moldova, Mongolia, and Kosovo. Critics have warned such arrangements risk undermining international asylum norms by treating vulnerable migrants as bargaining chips in geopolitical deals.

Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, the architect of the administration’s hardline deportation strategy, attended the summit, signaling the White House’s prioritization of the issue.