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Palau has entered into an agreement with the United States to accept up to 75 US deportees in exchange for $7.5 million in foreign aid.
The agreement will allow “third country nationals” who have never been charged with a crime to live and work in the Pacific nation, which has a population of about 18,000, according to announcements made Wednesday by the office of President Surangel Whipps Jr. and the U.S. Embassy in Koror.
“The United States greatly appreciates Palau’s cooperation in enforcing U.S. immigration laws, which remains a top priority for the Trump administration,” the U.S. Embassy in Koror said in a statement. “In this regard, the United States has granted $7.5 million to address related public service needs in Palau.”
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An aerial view of Palau on October 6, 2015 (Istock)
The agreement was formalized through a memorandum of understanding, with Palau citing labor shortages as a key driver.
“Palau and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding allowing up to 75 third-country nationals, who have never been charged with a crime, to live and work in Palau, helping to address local labor shortages in in-demand occupations,” Whipps’ office said in a statement.
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President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign event on December 19, 2025, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The Trump administration will also provide $6 million to support Palau’s struggling civil service pension plan system and $2 million for new law enforcement initiatives, according to Whipps’ office.
Palau, a former filming location for the long-running reality TV series “Survivor,” has long received U.S. support and relies heavily on foreign aid, according to Reuters. New York Post.
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The Olong castaways – James Wilson, Ibrahim Rahman, Bobby John Drinkard and Stephanie LaGrossa – during the third episode of Survivor: Palau on CBS. (Monty Brinton/CBS Archive Photo via Getty Images)
Under an agreement reached during the Biden administration, Washington pledged to provide aid worth $889 million over 20 years, according to the State Department.
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As the Trump administration ramps up mass deportations, several countries have agreed to take in illegal immigrants, including Uganda, Rwanda, Eswatini, South Sudan, Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador.
Fox News Digital’s Charles Kretz contributed to this report.