The US government has made a $7.5 million payment to the government of Equatorial Guinea as it seeks agreements to deport migrants to third countries, prompting sharp criticism from a top Democratic senator. Jeanne Shaheen said the payment, drawn from a migration and refugee assistance fund, raises serious concerns about transparency and proper use of taxpayer money; it far exceeds all US aid given to the country in the past eight years. She questioned whether funds intended for humanitarian crises should be transferred directly to one of the world’s most corrupt governments. The State Department defended the move as part of implementing the Trump administration’s immigration priorities. The payment raises questions about how the government is enmeshing its deportation agenda with other foreign policy goals, as well as the international leaders it is willing to trust. Immigration advocacy groups have called the policy a reckless tactic which violates due process rights and can strand deportees in countries with long histories of human rights violations and corruption.