Overview
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday that the United States has reached agreements with 20 foreign governments to accept migrants the U.S. cannot return to their home countries.
- Rubio said the option of transfer to a third country has helped push migrants to choose voluntary deportation, citing roughly 80,000 voluntary departures reported for January through March of 2026.
- Administration officials point to recent removals to places including the Congo and drop‑offs in Panama, Ghana, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda as examples of the policy in action.
- Immigration experts immediately challenged Rubio’s claim that the recipient states are uniformly 'safe,' noting reporting that Congo officials warned the country was dangerous for some deportees and that at least one expert called the 'safe' label inaccurate.
- Advocates and reporting say the program faces legal and diplomatic hurdles because some origin countries refuse returns, some receiving states demand payments or assurances, and litigation and backlogs continue to limit direct removals.