US may soon deport migrants to Libya on military flight

Venezuelan migrants arrive after being deported from the United States, at Simon Bolivar International Airport, in Maiquetia, Venezuela. —REUTERS

WASHINGTON—US President Donald Trump’s administration may deport migrants to Libya for the first time this week, three US officials said on Tuesday, as part of his immigration crackdown and despite Washington’s past condemnation of Libya’s harsh treatment of detainees.

Two of the officials said the US military could fly the migrants to the North African country as soon as Wednesday, but stressed that plans could still change. Reuters could not determine how many migrants would be sent to Libya or the nationalities of the individuals that the administration is eyeing for deportation.

The Republican president has launched aggressive enforcement action since taking office, surging troops to the southern border and pledging to deport millions of immigrants in the United States illegally.

As of Monday, the Trump administration has deported 152,000 people, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The administration has tried to encourage migrants to leave voluntarily by threatening steep fines, trying to strip away legal status, and deporting migrants to notorious prisons in Guantanamo Bay and El Salvador.

Reuters

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