• The U.S. plans to deport migrants to Libya starting this week, expanding its deportation policy.
• Libya's rival governments have both denied any agreement to accept U.S. deportees.
• Trump administration officials have faced backlash over the conditions migrants may face in Libya.

The Trump administration is preparing to deport migrants to Libya, potentially initiating such flights this week. This move is seen as a significant escalation within its immigration policy, despite previous criticisms of Libya’s human rights conditions. Multiple U.S. officials confirmed that the U.S. military might operate these deportation flights, marking a controversial decision given Libya’s ongoing civil conflict and poor treatment of detainees, according to Reuters, New York Times, and CBS News.

Libya’s Government of National Unity, which governs the western part of the country, categorically rejected the idea of receiving deported migrants, asserting that any such action would violate Libyan sovereignty. Similarly, eastern authorities led by Khalifa Haftar also denied that any arrangements had been made, stating outright that they would “not accept the deportation of migrants from the U.S.” This dual rejection highlights the fragmented political landscape in Libya, where rival factions govern different territories, as reported by New York Times and Al Jazeera.

The Trump administration has previously been criticized for deporting individuals to countries with infamous human rights violations, including El Salvador and Panama. Concerns arise regarding the possible treatment of migrants upon arrival in Libya, where conditions in detention facilities are described as “horrific” and marked by allegations of torture and lack of basic necessities, according to reports from organizations like Amnesty International and assessments from the U.S. State Department. Lands plagued by such deplorable circumstances cast doubt on the administration's deportation strategy, as highlighted by HuffPost and NPR.

Additionally, Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the U.S. strategy of seeking to send migrants to nations that would accept them, remarkedly stating, “We want to send you some of the most despicable human beings, will you do this as a favor to us?” Integrating such sentiments into broader legislative language, the administration's push for agreements with other nations like Rwanda to handle deportees raises further ethical concerns about international compacts under misrepresented human rights claims, as cited by The Hill and Channel News Asia.