US deported 25,000 to 35 countries under secretive deals – report

The United States has deported over 25,000 individuals to 35 countries since President Donald Trump's administration began in 2025, according to a recent investigation by Forbidden Stories. These secretive agreements allow Washington to take migrants with no ties to the receiving nations in exchange for financial compensation. The investigation found that $410 million was allocated for these deals, with $81 million earmarked for the signatory governments and the rest going to aid organizations.

Around 20,000 deportees were sent to Mexico, while the remaining 5,447 were distributed to 27 other countries across Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific. Seven more countries have yet to finalize agreements. The Office of Remigration, a little-known division within the State Department, has been primarily responsible for handling negotiations and payments.

Christian Jove Ehrhardt, a 41-year-old diplomat and the head of the office, has been instrumental in securing these agreements. Cameroon, for example, signed a memorandum of understanding in December 2025 and has already received a planeload of deportees. Other agreements involve direct payments, such as the $7.5 million received by Palau, a tiny Pacific island nation, in return for accepting up to 75 deportees.

However, the involvement of aid organizations in these arrangements has raised concerns. Critics argue that deportees are being placed in a "legal black hole" in countries where they have no ties and few rights. Despite this criticism, UNHCR stated that it was not party to the bilateral agreements and was merely using US funding in line with its mandate to improve asylum systems.