US Paid Liberia $5M for Deportee Deal, Despite Earlier ‘No Compensation’ Claim
Documents surface a payment to Liberia days after its first deportee flight arrived, as five deportees refused to leave the plane and were rerouted to Equatorial Guinea.
What to know
- Liberia agreed on August 18 to accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees from the U.S., initially calling it a no-cost humanitarian arrangement.
- NYT-obtained documents show the U.S. actually agreed to pay Liberia $5 million, contradicting the earlier no-compensation claim.
- Of the first 20 deportees to land on August 20, five refused to deplane and were flown onward to Equatorial Guinea.
- Liberian politicians say they were not consulted before the deal and criticize the lack of transparency about who is being deported and how they will be handled.
Trump administration US executive branch
Joseph Boakai President of LiberiaJerolinmek Piah Liberia's Information MinisterNatu Oswald Tweh Liberia's Justice MinisterDeportees People removed from the US to Liberia
How it unfolded 7 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesvideosposts
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Deportees' future in Liberia described as uncertain
Coverage noted Liberia's government announced the deal only two days before the first flight and that Liberian politicians say they were not consulted, raising questions about the deportees' status and treatment going forward.
“a "humanitarian arrangement"”
— Liberia's government, national government · source -
1 outlet first by Al Jazeera, 8d ago · read ↗
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Liberia will take up to 1,200 people the US deports over the next year, most of whom have never lived there. Immigration lawyers call these deals a way to return asylum seekers indirectly. https://www. nytimes.com/2026/08/18/us/poli tics/liberia-deportees.html
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Documents show US agreed to pay Liberia $5 million
The New York Times reported that the Trump administration approved a $5 million payment to Liberia in connection with the deportees, after Liberia indicated it would consider accepting migrants from other countries — contradicting Liberia's earlier statement that it was receiving no compensation.
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2 outlets first by NYT, 9d ago · also NYT Politics · read ↗
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Five deportees refuse to leave plane, rerouted to Equatorial Guinea
Five people among the deportees flown to Liberia resisted deplaning; U.S. officials confirmed some passengers refused to get off, and the five were subsequently flown onward to Equatorial Guinea.
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10 outlets US has sent deportees to many African countries, the latest one being Liberia. Here's why
first by WTOP News, 9d ago · also Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel, AP via Feedx, Hindustan Times +3
1 more headline
- U.S. has sent deportees to many African countries, the latest one being Liberia. Here's why Los Angeles Times · 9d ago
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first by Boston Globe, 6d ago · also NBC News, Philadelphia Inquirer, AP via Feedx, Seattle Times, AP News, Yahoo News Canada +2
1 more headline
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Can we also talk about deportations to Liberia? Stitched together, these moves seem straight outta the American Colonization Society (ACS) playbook. You can’t talk about ACS without mentioning Presidents James Monroe and Abraham Lincoln. SOURCE: @reuters.com
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Liberian critics say they were not consulted on the deal
As the first deportees arrived, critics in Liberia said the government had not explained why it agreed to one of the largest U.S. deportation deals, who the deportees are, or how they would be handled.
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Agreement is among largest third-country deportations driven by Trump administration’s immigration crackdown
2 more of the top 3 · 4 posts in this stretch
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WTF 😡 "People deported by the U.S. to Liberia will mostly hail from Latin American countries including Cuba and Venezuela, Liberia's information minister told Reuters, as authorities received the first deportation flight on Thursday. The West African nation announced on Tuesday that it had agreed to accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees…
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As Trump Sends Deportees to Liberia, Liberians Demand Explanations https://www. nytimes.com/2026/08/20/world/a frica/liberia-trump-deportations.html?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into World @ world-newyorktimes
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First 20 deportees land in Liberia under the deal
A plane carrying 20 deportees arrived at Roberts International Airport outside Monrovia, the first group under the agreement. As part of the arrangement, the U.S. extended Liberian visitor visas from 12 to 36 months and pledged $124 million in assistance.
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first by New York Times, 10d ago · also Independent UK, Breitbart, NYT, Al Jazeera, Straits Times, Boston Globe +2
8 more headlines
- First group of Trump’s third-country deportees arrive in Liberia from US Independent UK · 10d ago
- Homeland Security Sends First 20 Deportees to Liberia Breitbart · 10d ago
- First U.S. Deportees to Arrive in Liberia Amid Growing Backlash NYT · 10d ago
- First group of US deportees, out of an expected 1,200, arrive in Liberia Al Jazeera · 10d ago
- First US deportees land in Liberia Straits Times · 10d ago
- First US deportees arrive in Liberia, and Liberians want answers Boston Globe · 10d ago
- First of 1200 US deportees land in Liberia Le Monde EN · 10d ago
- Liberia receives first group of "third country" deportees from U.S., officials say CBS News · 10d ago
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first by AllAfrica, 9d ago · also Lethbridge News Now, Boston Globe, AP News, AP via Feedx, Seattle Times, Philadelphia Inquirer +1
2 more headlines
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The U.S. has sent 20 deportees to Liberia as part of 1,200 migrants that the African country will receive under a new deal.
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Officials detail deportee makeup ahead of first flight
Liberian officials said the 1,200 deportees would include Africans and nationals from North America, South America and the Caribbean, with a first batch of 20 expected to arrive Thursday; the Justice Minister said deportees could seek asylum in Liberia if they wished.
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first by Global News, 10d ago · also Associated Press, Guardian, Guardian Africa
1 more headline
- US deports 20 people to Liberia, the first of 1,200 migrants under Trump deal Associated Press · 10d ago
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The 1,200 deportees will include Africans as well as nationals from North America, South America and the Caribbean, with the first batch of 20 expected on Thursday.
2 more of the top 3 · 3 posts in this stretch
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African state joins Trump deportation drive https://www. rt.com/africa/644400-liberia-j oins-trump-deportation-drive/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS Liberia has agreed to host 1,200 third-country deportees from the US, with the first group of 20 due to arrive Thursday Read Full Article at RT.com # news # press
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An ICE Air flight is scheduled to depart Alexandria, LA for Dakar, Senegal at 4:40pm local time. We are monitoring for potential third country transfers to Liberia (per @reuters.com) and other countries in the region.
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Liberia agrees to accept up to 1,200 US deportees
Liberian authorities said the West African country would take up to 1,200 third-country deportees from the U.S., one of the largest such arrangements under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Liberia's government described it as a humanitarian arrangement involving no compensation.
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first by Philadelphia Inquirer, 12d ago · also ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos, AP via Feedx, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel, Hindustan Times, Seattle Times +9
9 more headlines
- Liberia agrees to take 1,200 deportees from the US ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos · 12d ago
- Liberia agrees to take 1,200 deportees from the United States Baltimore Sun · 12d ago
- Liberia agrees to accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees from US Reuters · 12d ago
- Liberia agrees to take 1,200 deportees from the U.S. CTV News · 12d ago
- Liberia to begin accepting up to 1,200 deportees from the U.S. cbc.ca · 12d ago
- Liberia agrees to accept up to 1,200 US deportees under Trump migration deal africanews.com · 12d ago
- Liberia agrees to accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees from U.S. Japan Today · 12d ago
- Liberia agrees to take over 1,000 third-country deportees from US over next year NY Post · 12d ago
- Liberia agrees to take 1,200 third-country deportees from the US Boston Globe · 12d ago
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10 outlets first by One America News Network, 10d ago · also Yahoo News Australia, BBC Africa, BBC, The Presidential Prayer Team, NBC News, Philadelphia Inquirer +3 · read ↗
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BREAKING: Liberia has agreed to accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees from the US in the coming year, and an initial group of 20 deportees is expected to arrive in the West African nation on August 20. 🔴 More on Aljazeera.com
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Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
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first by Straits Times, 9d ago · also NYT, Reuters
1 more headline
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first by WSJ, 10d ago · also Times of India
1 more headline
- Why the US is deporting migrants to Liberia instead of their home countries Times of India · 10d ago
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first by Mastodon, 10d ago · also American Prospect
1 more headline
- Liberia Joins Trump's ‘Third-Country Deportation’ Network American Prospect · 10d ago
and 2 smaller pieces
What people are saying 1 voices from 1 site · best of 11 · verbatim
- Aug 20
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First U.S. Deportees Arrive in Liberia, and Liberians Want Answers https://www. nytimes.com/2026/08/20/world/a frica/liberia-trump-deportations.html?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into News @ news-thenewsdesk

