US signs deportation agreement with Costa Rica

Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves (2nd L) and the special envoy of the United States Shield of the Americas Program, Kristi Noem (2nd R) signing an agreement as, as Costa Rica's president-elect Laura Fernandez (L) and the US ambassador to Costa Rica Melinda Hildebrand look on, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship in San Jose, Costa Rica, on March 23, 2026. [AFP]

A new agreement signed by US and Costa Rican officials on Monday will allow Washington to deport up to 25 people to the Central American country as part of President Donald Trump's ongoing immigration crackdown.

The agreement was signed by former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief Kristi Noem, as well as Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves and president-elect Laura Fernandez, who will replace him on May 8.

"It's a voluntary agreement," Chaves said, adding that "under this protocol we can reject anyone, not accept specific nationalities, while collaborating within the human rights framework of our country."

Trump announced earlier this month that Noem would be removed from her role leading DHS and take up the role of special envoy to the "Shield of the Americas," a coalition with 17 Latin American nations -- so far -- aimed at countering cartels.

A former congresswoman and governor of South Dakota, Noem was one of the leading faces of Trump's controversial immigration crackdown since his return to power in January 2025.

Her successor, Oklahoma senator Markwayne Mullin, was confirmed by the US Senate as the new DHS chief on Monday.

In addition to Costa Rica, Central American nations like El Salvador and Panama have agreed to accept deportees from the United States.

Several international organizations have alleged human rights violations are occurring under the Trump administration's mass deportation policy and these so-called "third country" deportations have faced court challenges.