We don't want gang members in our country," Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded when asked about some of the third country deportations at a Senate hearing last month. The report, which is the first congressional review of the agreements, found lump sum payments ranging between USD 4.7 million and USD 7.5 million to five countries - Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini and Palau - to deport migrants to those nations. The nations examined in the report are just a fraction of the Trump administration's overall work to deport migrants to third countries. According to internal administration documents reviewed by The Associated Press, there are 47 third-country agreements at various stages of negotiation. Shaheen has also questioned a USD 7.5 million payment sent to Equatorial Guinea that came at the same time the Trump administration was developing ties with the country's vice president, Teodoro "Teddy" Nguema Obiang.

Source: The Telegraph February 13, 2026 19:53 UTC