The Trump administration is reportedly considering sending illegal immigrants with criminal records to Libya and Rwanda.
CNN reported on Wednesday that the administration is currently in talks with the governments of the two nations to facilitate such a deal. The report suggests this could be an effort to deter foreigners from entering the US illegally.
The proposals mark a dramatic escalation in the administration’s push to deter people journeying to the United States and remove some of those already here to countries thousands of miles away, some of which have checkered pasts. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January directing top officials to facilitate international cooperation and agreements to send asylum seekers elsewhere.
In addition to sending migrants with criminal records, Trump officials are also hoping to enter formal negotiations with Libya to strike a so-called safe third country agreement, which would allow the US to send asylum seekers apprehended at the US border to Libya, according to one of the sources. No decision has been made yet, and it’s unclear which nationalities would be eligible.
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Trump officials have previously tried to strike safe third country agreements with countries in the Western hemisphere to ease the burden on the US asylum system and stem migration to the United States. The Trump administration has also moved to expand cooperation to include working with countries to detain people removed from the United States, including most recently with El Salvador.
During a Wednesday cabinet meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that “we are actively searching for other countries to take people from third countries.”
“I say this unapologetically, we are actively searching for other countries to take people from third countries,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday.
“We are working with other countries to say, ‘We want to send you some of the most despicable human beings to your countries — will you do that as a favor to us?’ And the further away from America, the better, so they can’t come back across the border,” he said.
Trump cracks down on illegal immigration, exploring deals to send criminal illegal immigrants to Rwanda and Libya. If getting sent to CECOT in El Salvador didn't scare you enough, try Libya and Rwanda. pic.twitter.com/gBGh6sCx1r
— DeVory Darkins (@devorydarkins) April 30, 2025
Both countries have a history of widespread and systematic human rights abuses – especially in their prisons.
Libya’s prison conditions are often described as inhumane and life-threatening. The nation’s government incarcerates migrants, political prisoners, asylum seekers who face torture and other types of abuse in facilities controlled by the state and armed militias.
🔴 Libya’s Sednaya Prison
— DOAM (@doamuslims) January 14, 2025
Horrific videos were leaked on Sunday showing a group of guards torturing Libyans in Qarnada Prison in Eastern #Libya.
The Notorious Qarnada prison is known for holding political prisoners opposed to warlord Khalifa Haftar, backed by UAE and Egypt. pic.twitter.com/hzSGBiQDHl
The same is true of Rwanda. The nation’s prisons also reportedly mete out torture while keeping inmates in harsh conditions. They are often overcrowded, with inmates dealing with inadequate water, food, and sanitation. There have been several reports of rampant physical abuse, such as beatings and coerced confessions.
If the administration adopts such a policy, it is sure to face numerous legal challenges, as is the case with most of his other immigration policies.
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