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Published on
Monday, August 4, 2025
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The U.S. State
Department is preparing to allocate up
to $7.85 million to support Costa Rica’s
deportation efforts, according to a report
by Reuters.
The funds will aid
Costa Rican authorities in removing
migrants passing through the country, an
approach that mirrors a similar,
controversial Biden-era program in
Panama.
Under the reported
plan, the funds will come from the State
Department’s Economic Support Fund,
typically reserved for development
assistance in allied nations. The money will be
transferred to the Department
of Homeland Security (DHS), which will
then coordinate with Costa Rican
immigration authorities to implement the
deportations.
According to a
State Department spokesperson quoted by
Reuters, the funding is aimed primarily
at migrants transiting through Costa
Rica en route to the United States, not individuals
deported from the U.S. to Costa Rica.
“The program will
build the capacity of the Costa Rican
immigration authorities to stop the flow
of illegal migration through its
borders, while also providing training
and resources on asylum screening,” the
spokesperson said.
The plan includes
technical advice, logistical support,
and air transportation to facilitate
deportation procedures.
While the document
outlines how the funding would be used, it remains
unclear when implementation will begin
or whether the program is subject to
change.
The arrangement is modeled in part on a 2024 deal between the Biden administration and Panama, in which the U.S. provided funding for Panamanian authorities to detain and deport migrants traveling north from Colombia.
That
deal drew sharp
criticism from migrant
rights advocates and
Democratic lawmakers,
who warned it could deny
vulnerable migrants
access to the U.S.
asylum system. The
current plan may
similarly face scrutiny.
According to the
document obtained by
Reuters, the program
will help Costa Rica
deport migrants who “do
not have international
protections or other
legal grounds to
remain.” Earlier
this year, Costa Rica
agreed to accept 200
migrants from Africa,
Asia, and Europe who
had entered the U.S.
illegally, part of a
Trump administration
initiative.
While the original plan
involved Costa Rica
deporting those
individuals to their
countries of origin,
dozens reportedly remain
in Costa Rica. Both
Costa Rica’s Ministry of
Public Security and
Immigration Directorate
referred questions to
the Office of the
President and the
Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, which did not
respond to Reuters'
requests for comment. The
Trump administration has
pursued several
non-traditional
deportation arrangements
with foreign
governments, including
Costa Rica, sometimes
sending individuals to
countries with which
they have no legal or
historical connection.
Critics argue that these
policies could endanger
deportees, especially
when sent to nations
with weak institutions
or poor human rights
records. While
northbound migration
through the Darién Gap,
from Colombia into
Panama and then to Costa
Rica, has decreased in
recent months, the
report notes a new
trend: Venezuelan
migrants traveling
southward, disillusioned
by the dismantling of
Biden-era humanitarian
programs and tighter
immigration enforcement
under Trump. The
document does not
specify the final
destinations of migrants
deported from Costa
Rica, leaving open the
possibility of transfers
to third-party
countries. It
is also unclear whether
the Trump administration
plans to replicate this
program in other Latin
American countries.
---------------- What measures can Costa Rica take to better support migrants and asylum seekers within its borders? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com
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