The United States transferred $7.5 million to the government of Equatorial Guinea to secure the country’s acceptance of noncitizen deportees, according to a senior congressional Democrat, current and former State Department officials and public records.
The payment came from the Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) emergency fund, which Congress normally designates for international refugee crises and sometimes for resettlement in the US. Officials said the Trump administration repurposed the fund to accelerate deportations, sending the money directly to Equatorial Guinea’s government. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has ruled the country for 46 years; he and his son, Vice-President Nguema Obiang, have been accused of diverting millions to finance lavish lifestyles.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, described the transfer as “highly unusual” in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. She cited Equatorial Guinea’s “history of corruption” and government officials’ “complicity in human trafficking,” asking what safeguards are in place to prevent deportees from becoming “vulnerable to human trafficking, human smuggling or human rights abuses.” The Guardian obtained a copy of the letter; the Associated Press first reported the transfer.
The payment fits into the administration’s broader, controversial push to use third countries to accept deported migrants — a policy that has alarmed human rights monitors. UN experts warned in July that the approach could lead to people being removed to other countries within a single day, without adequate legal protections or the opportunity to raise claims of torture or persecution.
Washington has contacted at least 58 governments about taking deportees, frequently securing agreements with cash payments or diplomatic pressure, including threats of travel bans. Several of the governments approached — including Eswatini, South Sudan and El Salvador — are flagged in State Department reports for serious human rights problems.
A State Department spokesperson said implementing the Trump administration’s immigration policies is a priority, reiterating a commitment to reduce illegal and mass migration and strengthen border security. The spokesperson declined to comment on details of diplomatic communications.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met in September with Vice-President Nguema Obiang, who was convicted by a Paris court in 2017 of embezzling tens of millions of euros and laundering proceeds in France. The US Department of Justice in 2012 determined the vice-president had spent about $315 million worldwide on properties, supercars and other luxury goods; US authorities later seized more than $27 million in assets, including properties, cars and a jewel-encrusted glove linked to Michael Jackson.
On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the State Department said Landau and Obiang “reaffirmed joint commitments to deepen commercial and economic ties, combat illegal immigration, and advance security cooperation.” Obiang later confirmed he would cooperate with the US on the “orderly reception of undocumented immigrants, under strict joint protocols designed to guarantee a safe and coordinated process.”
Observers noted the deal was arranged quietly. A congressional aide called sending funds directly to a “highly corrupt” government a red flag and described the arrangement as a “notable, egregious agreement.” MRA funds are typically used to respond to overseas refugee and humanitarian crises — for example, in Gaza or Sudan — prompting questions about why the money was diverted to Equatorial Guinea.
Another Democratic congressional aide suggested the State Department may have only briefed Republican lawmakers about the agreement. The office of Senator James Risch, Republican chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how long the agreement would last.
