The Trump administration may send deported migrants to Libya as soon as Wednesday, May 7, according to a trio of U.S. officials who spoke with Reuters on the condition of anonymity. It would mark the first time immigrants are sent to Libya, and comes following President Donald Trump’s previous criticism of Libya’s abusive treatment toward detained migrants.
Two U.S. officials told Reuters the U.S. military may begin flying migrants to Libya by Wednesday, but emphasized that plans are still fluid.
Currently, it’s unclear how many immigrants would be sent to Libya or what their nations of origin are. The Pentagon, White House and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have yet to comment on the reports.
A State Department spokesperson told Reuters, “We do not discuss details of diplomatic communications with other governments.”
How Libya is responding
However, Libya’s Government on National Unity announced on Wednesday that it rejects the use of the country as a place to deport migrants coming from the United States, and said it did not have direct knowledge of the matter, has not agreed and is not coordinating with American officials when it comes to taking in migrants.
The Libyan National Army which controls the eastern part of the nation also denied it plans to take in any undocumented immigrants from the U.S. arguing it “violates the sovereignty of the homeland.”
Part of a larger effort
DHS reported earlier during the week of May 4 that the Trump administration has deported more than 150,000 people since he took office in January.
President Trump has tried a number of tactics to initiate mass deportations, including incentivizing migrants to leave voluntarily and threatening them with significant fines, as well as deporting migrants to Guantanamo Bay and a maximum security prison in El Salvador.
Immigration
As of the end of April, 2025, the Trump administration reports that it has deported over 150,000 people in the United States illegally.
Trump administration officials have expressed a desire to not only send migrants to El Salvador but other countries so it can expand its deportation efforts. A U.S. official told Reuters that the administration is looking at a number of nations to deport migrants, including Libya.
Conditions in Libya
The U.S. State Department last year found “harsh and life-threatening prison conditions” as well as “arbitrary arrests and detention” in Libya. The country has also been criticized by human rights advocates for its poor treatment of migrants. The department currently advises Americans against visiting the nation because of rampant “crime, civil unrest, kidnapping and armed conflict.” The country has been in turmoil as rival factions control the east and west of the country with armed conflicts arising at times.
The legality
It’s unclear if the Trump administration’s potential move to send migrants is executable, as the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily halted the deportation of Venezuelan migrants accused of gang affiliation to El Salvador by Trump, using the rarely-employed Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to initiate the process. It’s also unknown what the due process for migrants sent on potential deportation flights to Libya would look like.
