Costa Rica has agreed to accept up to 25 deportees weekly from the United States, forming part of President Trump's efforts to find nations willing to take migrants detained in America. President Rodrigo Chaves and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem signed the voluntary, nonbinding deal, allowing Costa Rica to select which individuals to receive. The arrangement reflects Costa Rica's pursuit of closer ties with Washington.

Costa Rica's president-elect Laura Fernández characterized the agreement as a gesture of reciprocity toward the Trump administration. Under the deal, the U.S. provides financial support while the International Organization for Migration covers housing and meals for deportees. Last year, Costa Rica received 200 deportees, though authorities lost track of most who didn't immediately return home.

Human rights advocates have criticized the arrangement, with Costa Rican lawyer Marcia Aguiluz Soto calling it a transactional policy that doesn't benefit the country. The deal comes after Costa Rican authorities previously faced criticism for their treatment of deportees, with the Constitutional Court finding their detention arbitrary and illegal.