Democrats’ $40M Deportation Fury
Democrats who spent four years opening our borders to millions of illegal aliens are now crying about the Trump administration spending $40 million to deport roughly 300 dangerous criminals—exposing their hypocrisy while revealing the staggering costs their open-border policies inflicted on American taxpayers.
Story Snapshot
- Senate Democrats released a report criticizing Trump’s third-country deportation program that cost $40 million for approximately 300 deportees
- The same Democrats ignore the hundreds of billions their open-border policies cost taxpayers in social services, law enforcement, and community destruction
- Some deportees included dangerous criminals sent to countries like Rwanda and El Salvador rather than simply releasing them into American communities
- Over 80 percent of those deported have returned to their home countries, suggesting the program achieved its goals despite Democratic criticism
Democrats Suddenly Discover Fiscal Responsibility
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen released a report on February 13, 2026, complaining that Trump’s third-country deportation program cost taxpayers approximately $40 million through January 2026. The report documents payments to five countries—Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini, and Palau—to accept roughly 300 migrants who were not their nationals. Democrats expressed outrage over costs averaging thousands per deportee, with some individual cases exceeding $1 million when including military aircraft transportation at over $32,000 per hour.
The Hypocrisy Democrats Hope You’ll Ignore
These same Democrats who now clutch their pearls over $40 million remained silent while the Biden administration’s open-border policies cost taxpayers hundreds of billions annually. The American Immigration Council estimates that deporting one million illegal immigrants annually would cost $88 billion per year, but Democrats never calculated the far greater costs of housing, feeding, educating, and providing medical care to the millions they welcomed across our borders. The Trump administration targeted dangerous criminals for removal through this program, prioritizing American safety over the feelings of illegal aliens who had no right to be here in the first place.
Real Results Versus Democratic Spin
The Democratic report admits that over 80 percent of migrants sent to third countries have already returned to their countries of origin or are in the process of doing so. This demonstrates the program’s effectiveness at achieving permanent removal rather than the catch-and-release policies Democrats championed. An administration official explained the deterrent purpose clearly, stating the point was to send a message discouraging illegal immigration. While Democrats focus on per-person costs for roughly 300 deportees, they ignore that preventing future illegal crossings through deterrence saves taxpayers far more than the upfront expense.
ABC News Sounds Alarm About Cost to Taxpayers for Deportations (and It's a Multi-Leveled BACKFIRE) https://t.co/b7sDagen5Y
— TinaPM American (@TpmPeiser) February 14, 2026
Where Democrats Really Stand on Spending
Democrats who approved trillions in wasteful spending on foreign aid, Green New Deal boondoggles, and welfare programs for illegal immigrants suddenly discovered budget concerns when it comes to enforcing immigration law. The report criticizes redundant flights and payment inefficiencies, yet these same senators supported a system that flew illegal immigrants across the country on taxpayer-funded flights under Biden. The Trump administration’s agreements with over 20 countries create diplomatic partnerships supporting American security interests, while Democrats preferred surrendering border sovereignty entirely. Their selective outrage reveals this isn’t about fiscal responsibility—it’s about opposing any enforcement of immigration law whatsoever.
Sources:
Donald Trump wants a mass deportation program. How much could it cost? – ABC7 News