This Thursday (14), the United States signed an agreement to send foreigners to Paraguay. The document allows people in US territory requesting asylum to now be able to issue the request from the South American country. The agreement was announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with his Paraguayan counterpart, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano.
The agreement establishes that asylum applicants who still await the analysis of their requests may be transferred to Paraguay, where the process will continue. The measure seeks to relieve the overload faced by the United States in the face of the high number of illegal immigrants and refuge applicants, as well as curing abuses in the asylum system, used by some only as a form of entry into the country.
Since Donald Trump’s return to the presidency, irregular immigration has been treated again as a matter of national security. The US government has as its priority to reduce illegal entry into the country, while strengthening strategic relationships with allies. According to Rubio, this initiative contributes to avoid abuses in the asylum system and reinforce internal security. The measure allows nations to “share the charge of managing illegal immigration while ending the asylum system abuse.”
In addition, with Trump back to power, the United States and Paraguay have sought to reinforce their alliance. The South American country strives to consolidate itself as Washington’s strategic partner, focusing on economic interests, security and regional influence. It is worth remembering that, in 2024, President Santiago Peña and Rodrigo Maluff, deputy minister of Rediex (Investment and Export Network), were in the United States to attract foreign investment.
Since the US Secretary of State’s visit to Paraguay in February 2025, the Paraguayan government has intensified its efforts to position itself as one of the leading US allies in Latin America.
