The United States and Argentina are in advanced talks to sign an agreement that would allow the U.S. to deport immigrants from other countries to the South American nation, according to two people familiar with the negotiations and U.S. government records obtained by The New York Times.
The negotiations come as the Trump administration has mobilized a sweeping and aggressive deportation effort, including deploying immigration officers to U.S. cities, sometimes with fatal consequences.
The talks also come as the Argentine government has escalated anti-immigrant rhetoric under President Javier Milei, including claiming to have made record numbers of expulsions and sending the police on immigration enforcement operations in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, the capital.
The two people who described the contours of the agreement spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations.
While an agreement has not been finalized, the talks highlight Mr. Milei’s eagerness to strengthen his alliance with the United States and support President Trump’s crackdown even as it risks clashing with his own anti-immigration push at home.
The Trump administration has increasingly relied on so-called third country deportation deals as it tries to follow through on promises of a mass deportation campaign. There are various reasons for the deals, including sending a deterrence message to dissuade migrants from crossing into the U.S. illegally. The deals also serve another function: sending nationals who come from countries that are hard to deport to, either because of a lack of diplomatic ties or an inability to obtain travel documents for the migrants.
The Trump administration has deported migrants from other nations to several countries willing to take them, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Eswatini and Panama. The deportations have come under legal scrutiny, but courts thus far have allowed them to continue.
Argentina’s acting vice minister for foreign affairs, Juan Navarro, filed a proposal earlier this month to finalize the third-country deal, according to U.S. government records seen by The Times. Argentina’s foreign minister Pablo Quirno had made a commitment to the U.S. authorities to enter into the agreement, the documents show.
The deal would allow the United States to send foreign nationals to Argentina, thousands of miles south of Washington, with the idea that from there they would potentially be offered flights to return to their home countries.
Under the proposed agreement, Argentina would accept individuals who were detained near the border shortly after entering the U.S. illegally, said one of the people — an official with the Department of Homeland Security — familiar with the discussions.
Trump Administration: Live Updates
Updated
- The stock and bond markets appear unfazed by Warsh’s nomination as Fed chair.
- Here’s what to know about Kevin Warsh.
- Trump picks Kevin M. Warsh, a former Fed official, as the central bank’s next chair.
The Argentine Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations and the U.S. State Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Details about the deal’s implementation remain under discussion: The Milei administration has expressed concern about the risk of public backlash and its own efforts to limit migration to Argentina, according to the government records. Other obstacles include the potential financial burden on Argentina amid budget cuts implemented by Mr. Milei and a lack of infrastructure to house and transport migrants, the records show.
If an agreement is reached, Argentina would follow other South American nations which have closed similar deals with the U.S., including Paraguay and Ecuador, whose leaders are also political allies of Mr. Trump.
In September, the United States offered a $20 billion lifeline to Argentina, which was instrumental in buttressing the fortunes of President Milei ahead of key midterm elections.
For much of its modern history, Argentina has treated immigration as a foundational tenet of its national identity and not an issue that can trigger a political fault line. The country was built by waves of newcomers and has long been accustomed to seeing foreign arrivals as part of the national fabric, translating into relatively permissive policies. Anti-immigrant platforms generally have not been part of electoral campaigns as in other countries.
However, as Mr. Milei has sought to promote himself as a leader of the global right and a close ally of Mr. Trump, he has began to rail against mass migration, arguing that Western countries have abandoned their national interest in favor of mass migration.
In a recent interview with Louis Sarkozy, son of the former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Mr. Milei said that when immigrants “don’t adapt to the culture, it’s an invasion,” prone to “change the cultural base” of a country.
At home, Mr. Milei’s allies have increasingly adopted the term “invasion” to describe immigration and have proposed tightening migrant access to public services, such as health care and education. Mr. Milei’s administration has also moved to expedite deportations of foreigners with criminal records.
The change in tone has also been matched by a more security-focused approach to immigration policy, with the authorities emphasizing border control and federal policing.
Last week, while thousands of Americans poured into the streets of Minneapolis to protest against ICE raids, the Argentine administration conducted immigration raids involving police officers, who do not usually participate in such operations.
Argentina’s security minister, Alejandra Monteoliva, said in a post on X this week that 5,000 immigrants had been “expelled, denied entry, or extradited” during the past two months, “breaking a national historical record.”
Lucía Cholakian Herrera and Daniel Politi contributed reporting from Buenos Aires.
Emma Bubola is a Times reporter covering Argentina. She is based in Buenos Aires.
The post Argentina in Advanced Talks to Become Destination for U.S. Deportations appeared first on New York Times.
