Trump Admin Expands Offshore Deportation Strategy to Costa Rica
State Department plans $7.85 million transfer to support Costa Rican removal operations
WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department is planning to spend up to $7.85 million to help Costa Rica deport migrants, according to a document reviewed by Reuters, marking a new phase in the Trump administration’s efforts to curb migration through regional partnerships.
The funding, drawn from the State Department’s economic support fund—typically reserved for development programs in allied nations—will be transferred to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS will coordinate with Costa Rican authorities to conduct deportations, though a timeline has not been disclosed.
“The Department intends to support the Government of Costa Rica in conducting deportation operations of migrants that do not have international protections or other legal grounds to remain,” the document reads. The plan includes providing air transportation, technical advice, and logistical support for the deportation process.
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The initiative appears to be modeled “in part” on a 2024 agreement between the Biden administration and Panama, in which the U.S. financed efforts by Panama to detain and deport migrants transiting north from Colombia. That agreement sparked criticism from Democratic lawmakers and migrant advocacy groups, who warned it could deny asylum access to vulnerable populations.
In this case, the State Department says the funding will primarily assist Costa Rica in removing migrants who are passing through the country en route to the U.S., rather than individuals deported directly from American soil.
“The program will build capacity of the Costa Rican immigration authorities to stop the flow of illegal migration through its borders, while also providing training and resources on asylum screening,” a State Department spokesperson said.
Earlier this year, Costa Rica agreed to accept 200 migrants from Africa, Asia, and Europe at the Trump administration’s request. While they were to be deported to their countries of origin, many remain in Costa Rica.
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It remains unclear which countries Costa Rica would send deportees to under the new plan, raising the possibility that some could be relocated to third countries. Human rights groups have previously raised concerns about similar arrangements, especially when deportees have no clear legal or familial ties to the countries receiving them.
The Trump administration has increasingly leaned on foreign partnerships to facilitate deportations, including with governments in Panama, El Salvador, and Chile. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has traveled to several of these countries in recent months to negotiate immigration cooperation.
Officials in Costa Rica’s ministries of public security and immigration declined to comment, referring questions to the president’s office and foreign ministry, which did not respond.
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