Overview
- Investigators say more than $32 million went to Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini and Palau, which together received about 300 people, including roughly 250 Venezuelans sent to El Salvador.
- The report cites extreme per-person costs, including a $7.5 million payment to Rwanda for seven arrivals and $7.5 million to Palau despite no arrivals.
- More than 80% of those relocated have already returned or are in the process of returning to their home countries, with the U.S. in some cases paying for both the third-country transfer and the subsequent return.
- Democrats detail scarce monitoring of how funds are used and note rights concerns, including reports that officials were told not to follow up on deportee treatment and frequent reliance on costly military airlift.
- A federal judge ordered the administration to let Venezuelans deported to El Salvador challenge their removals, including bringing some back for court, while the State Department defends the policy and pursues additional agreements.