The Trump administration has worked to expand its list of partner countries willing to accept illegal immigrants deported from the United States.
Rwanda discussed early on the possibility that Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Ndungea would hire deportees of illegal immigrants from the United States, announced on May 4.
“We are talking with the US,” Nduhungirehe said in an interview with state broadcaster Rwandatv.
He said the discussion was only at the earliest stage.
“It’s not yet reached the stage where we can say exactly how things go, but discussions are ongoing,” the Foreign Minister said.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson responded to requests for comment from the Epoch era, saying the department remains affiliated with foreign countries to prevent illegal and mass migration to the United States. The spokesman declined to comment directly on the discussion with the Rwandan government.
The Epoch Times also contacted the White House for comments, but did not receive a response by publication time.
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Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has sought to expand efforts to deport illegal US immigrants. Working to promote a broader deportation process, the Trump administration has called for transactions where other countries accept their deportation.
Speaking to mark Trump’s 100th day inauguration at last week’s cabinet meeting, Rubio detailed the administration’s ongoing search for partner states to take on US deportations.
“We want to work with other countries and send you some of the sleazy people to your country. Do you do that as a boon?” the Secretary of State said. “And the farther they are from America, the less they can return across the border.”
Rwanda has recently established itself as a potential reception point for a country seeking to offload deporters.
After taking office in July, British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer said “Rwandan plans were dead and buried before they began.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
