Congress Must Stop Deportations That Put Human Lives In Danger

CONGRESS MUST HALT THIRD-COUNTRY DEPORTATIONS UNTIL LEGAL SAFEGUARDS AND THE RULE OF LAW ARE ENFORCED As a constituent, I urge you to speak out against the Administration’s expanding “third-country deportation” program, which removes individuals to countries that are not their own. A February 2026 Senate Foreign Relations Committee report and national news coverage indicate the United States has spent roughly $40 million to deport about 300 people, including multimillion-dollar payments to foreign governments. Some transfers have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per person, with one documented case exceeding $1 million per deportee. Individuals have reportedly been sent to countries including El Salvador, Rwanda, Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, and Palau, often places where they have no family ties, legal status, or support networks. Without clear statutory guardrails, this practice risks becoming a permanent system of offshore removals conducted with limited transparency and accountability. THE PROGRAM RISKS VIOLATING U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL LAW AND EXPOSING THE GOVERNMENT TO LEGAL CHALLENGES Transfers to unfamiliar countries heighten the risk of refoulement - direct or indirect return to persecution, torture, or serious harm. Even if the receiving country is not itself dangerous, deportees may be expelled onward to unsafe nations, a practice known as chain refoulement. U.S. law prohibits removal where a person’s life or freedom would be threatened. It also implements protections under the Convention Against Torture and requires individualized safety review before removal. Federal courts have repeatedly required meaningful review and protection screening before removal or transfer. Sending individuals to countries lacking reliable asylum systems, legal protections, or monitoring mechanisms risks violating these obligations, undermining the rule of law, and exposing the United States to litigation and court injunctions. RAPID TRANSFERS MAY BYPASS COURTS AND UNDERMINE DUE PROCESS RIGHTS Reports indicate some transfers occur with little notice of destination, limited opportunity to consult counsel, and removal before courts can review claims. When individuals are transferred before judicial review is possible, statutory asylum protections and Fifth Amendment due process safeguards may be effectively nullified. THE HUMAN CONSEQUENCES CAN BE SEVERE AND IRREVERSIBLE A deported person may be left in a country where they do not speak the language, lack legal status, and have no family or support network. Individuals may face detention, homelessness, exploitation, or onward removal to dangerous conditions. These outcomes contradict basic humanitarian principles and damage U.S. credibility as a defender of human rights. THE PROGRAM IS EXTRAORDINARILY EXPENSIVE AND LACKS ACCOUNTABILITY Public reporting indicates tens of millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on these transfers. In some cases, deportees have later returned to their home countries at additional expense, raising serious concerns about fiscal responsibility and policy effectiveness. CONGRESS HAS THE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH STATUTORY AND TREATY OBLIGATIONS Please take the following actions: (1) Hold oversight hearings requiring disclosure of all agreements, payments, transfer numbers, and the status and welfare of deported individuals. (2) Require enforceable safeguards including advance notice, access to counsel, and documented individualized safety screening before any transfer. (3) Pass legislation prohibiting transfers to countries that lack verified asylum protections, legal status guarantees, and independent monitoring. (4) Require public reporting and GAO review of costs, outcomes, and compliance with U.S. law and treaty obligations.