On Tuesday, three U.S. officials announced a potential plan by the Trump administration to deport illegal immigrants to Libya for the first time, possibly as early as this week.
Two of the officials mentioned that the military might be ready to transport migrants to Libya on Wednesday, though they cautioned that the plan could change at any moment.
Throughout his time back in office, President Donald Trump has intensified measures against immigration, deploying troops to the southern border and targeting illegal gang members associated with Tren de Aragua and MS-13.
As reported by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the administration had deported 152,000 individuals as of the previous Monday.
This announcement follows comments made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who indicated last week that the U.S. aims to increase the number of countries available for deporting illegal immigrants.
“We are working with other countries to say, we want to send you some of the sleazy people. Would you do this as a boon to us?” Rubio stated during a Cabinet meeting last Wednesday.
“And the farther away from America, the better.”
Moreover, another U.S. official revealed that the administration is exploring options to send illegal immigrants to additional countries over the coming weeks.
It remains unclear whether Libyan authorities have agreed to accept deportees from other nationalities.
Libya is known for its ongoing instability and conflict, having been divided into Eastern and Western factions since 2014, each governed by rival regional governments.
