US deported 25,000 to third countries under secretive deals- Report

The US has deported more than 25,000 individuals to third countries under covert arrangements with 35 nations, according to a recent investigation. Since President Donald Trump assumed office in January 2025, Washington has been entering into agreements with developing countries to receive migrants who cannot be legally returned to their home nations.

The investigation by Forbidden Stories revealed that Washington has allocated $410 million to be paid directly to the receiving countries or to UN agencies to facilitate the returns. As of August 31, 2026, at least 25,447 people had already been deported to third countries. The majority, around 20,000, were sent to Mexico, while the remaining deportees were distributed to 27 other countries across Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific, with further agreements finalized with seven additional nations.

The agreements vary, with factors such as the nationalities eligible for deportation and the acceptance of individuals with criminal records being negotiated. The deals often include conditions regarding which migrants can be deported and whether those with criminal histories can be included. An earlier AFP investigation found that Washington is employing visa bans and restrictions on African nations to compel them to accept deportees.

Lawyers have criticized the situation, stating that deportees are being placed in a legal limbo, held without charges in countries where they have no connections and limited rights.

The Office of Remigration, a lesser-known division within the State Department established in May 2025, has been primarily responsible for these negotiations and payments. Headed by Christian Jove Ehrhardt, a 41-year-old diplomat with a background in security, the office has been actively involved in the process. The report outlines his visits to Cameroon, which signed a memorandum of understanding in December 2025 to accept deportees, followed by a five-year health assistance program worth nearly $400 million.

Subsequent agreements involved direct payments to governments, such as Palau, a small Pacific island nation with a population of under 18,000, which signed an agreement in December 2025 to accept up to 75 third-country nationals in exchange for $7.5 million. However, only three deportees have been sent under this agreement so far.

In Eswatini, 32 deportees have arrived since July 2025 out of a potential 160 under an agreement valued at over $5 million, accepting individuals with criminal records.

The total funding for these agreements amounts to $410 million, with $81 million allocated for signatory governments and the remainder intended for aid organizations. This includes over $178 million for the UN's International Organization for Migration and $123 million for the UNHCR. While these agencies have faced criticism for their involvement, UNHCR stated that it was not part of the bilateral agreements and that the US funding was being utilized in accordance with its mandate to enhance asylum systems.

An IOM spokesperson emphasized that the agency's decisions to accept funding were based on whether the engagement would improve the lives of the affected migrants.