Liberia will accept up to 1,200 people deported from the United States, according to Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah in Monrovia on Tuesday.
The first group of 20 people is expected to arrive in Liberia on Thursday. Piah said these individuals come from Africa, North America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Piah stressed: "The government wants to make it clear that those brought to Liberia will be received as guests of the Republic" and they "are free to leave the country whenever they wish."
The Liberia agreement is part of deals signed by the Trump administration with at least 35 countries to accept deportees from third countries, according to Refugees International and Human Rights First, which monitor these agreements.
This is the largest such agreement in terms of anticipated deportees so far. As of early August 2026, the US had sent about 22,000 people to 26 countries where they were not original citizens, according to human rights groups.
The agreement between Liberia and the US was signed in 2025 and announced in March 2026, aiming to ensure asylum seekers and others needing protection can stay in Liberia if deported there.
The US attempted to persuade courts to allow sending Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an El Salvador citizen whose case drew national attention, to Liberia. In exchange for Liberia agreeing to accept Garcia in 2025, the Trump administration extended the validity of certain visas for Liberians from 12 to 36 months and pledged $124 million for Liberia's health services.
The Liberia deportation agreement is currently challenged by multiple lawsuits in the US.
