European Country Agrees to Take Detained US Migrants
By Dan Gooding and Gabe Whisnant
Kosovo announced Wednesday that it has agreed to a U.S. request to temporarily accept up to 50 third-country migrants annually, according to the government's press office.
Why It Matters
The agreement comes amid President Donald Trump's renewed immigration crackdown, launched immediately after he returned to office in January. While it remains unclear when the U.S. made the request or whether similar asks were made of other nations, Kosovo praised the United States as a "steadfast ally," citing decades of partnership and shared values.
The announcement follows ongoing protests in the U.S. over immigration enforcement policies that critics say are fracturing migrant families.
Costa Rica migrants
Security personnel approach a plane carrying migrants from Central Asia and India, deported from the United States, at Juan Santamaría International Airport in San Jose, Costa Rica, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. Associated Press
What to Know
The State Department told Newsweek Wednesday via email, "We are grateful to our partner Kosovo for receiving third country nationals removed from the United States. We welcome cooperation on this key Trump Administration priority."
Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008 after a U.S.-led NATO campaign ended the 1998–1999 war, continues to seek broader international recognition amid opposition from Serbia, Russia, and China.
Under President Trump's renewed immigration enforcement policies, the U.S. has increasingly relied on third-country agreements to deport migrants, often sending them far from their countries of origin. Hundreds of migrants from Asia and Africa have been deported to Costa Rica and Panama, under deals that allow temporary relocation while repatriation is arranged. Additionally, more than 200 Venezuelan nationals accused of gang affiliations were transferred to El Salvador, where they were imprisoned in the country's high-security mega-prison.
The administration has also attempted to deport migrants to more unstable nations, including Libya and South Sudan, despite concerns over widespread violence and human rights conditions. These efforts have faced legal challenges, with U.S. courts blocking transfers to such conflict zones for now. The Trump administration has defended the use of third-country deportations as a necessary measure to deter unlawful entry and ease pressure on the U.S. immigration system.
Also on Wednesday, the Trump administration dismissed as "fake news" a report it was looking to transfer thousands of undocumented foreign nationals to the U.S. military base in Guantánamo Bay, including citizens from Ukraine and other friendly countries.
What People Are Saying
The Kosovo government's statement continued: "We hold (U.S.) support in very high regard, especially as we work toward integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions."
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Acting ICE director Todd Lyons told reporters at a May briefing: "As a career law enforcement officer and a career officer with ICE, I've been dealing with these recalcitrant countries for years, having to see repeated murderers, sex offenders, violent criminals re-released back into the United States because their home countries would not take them back.
"Yet under President Trump and under the leadership of Secretary Nome, we are now able to remove these public safety threats so they won't pry on the community anymore and they won't have any more victims in the United States."
What Happens Next
In a statement to the Associated Press, Kosovo officials said the individuals would be relocated for a limited period "with the aim of facilitating their safe return to their home country."
The government emphasized that selected individuals must meet criteria tied to rule of law and public order.
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