5 of 20 U.S. Deportees Resist Liberia Removal as Backlash Grows Over 1,200-Person Deal
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 20
5 of 20 U.S. Deportees Resist Liberia Removal as Backlash Grows Over 1,200-Person Deal
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 20
Summary
Five of the 20 U.S. deportees flown to Liberia on Thursday refused to leave the plane at Roberts International Airport and were restrained for several minutes by U.S. federal agents.
A verified video showed the five men seated on the tarmac beside the aircraft, surrounded by about 20 agents; three people familiar with the operation said all five were eventually returned to the plane.
Liberia's foreign minister confirmed the group arrived in Monrovia, but the government has not clarified the five men's status, while the State Department referred questions to Homeland Security and DHS did not comment.
The confrontation came during the first transfer under Liberia's agreement to accept up to 1,200 U.S. deportees, a pact critics in Africa say is too large and too opaque.
The resistance also highlights broader fears around Trump-era deportations to countries where migrants have no ties, an approach rights groups say deepens uncertainty.
Why is Liberia welcoming over a thousand foreign deportees as guests, and what unseen diplomatic incentives sealed this unprecedented international deal?
How will Liberia's bold move to accept third-country deportees reshape global migration policies and international human rights standards?
What happens to the legal rights and safety of non-criminal migrants when they are suddenly relocated to an unfamiliar nation?