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

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Since early 2025, the United States has deported over 25,000 migrants to 35 third countries under secret agreements involving $410 million in payments to governments and aid groups. These transfers raise legal and human rights concerns as many deportees are sent to countries where they face detention without rights, while international organizations like UNHCR receive significant funding to manage related asylum and migration efforts.

Since the beginning of 2025, the United States has deported over 25,000 migrants to third countries under a series of confidential agreements with 35 nations, according to an investigation released Monday. These arrangements, initiated under President Donald Trump’s administration, involve sending people who cannot be legally returned to their home countries to other developing states willing to accept them.

The deals involve payments totaling approximately $410 million, which are distributed directly to recipient governments or to international aid organizations, including the United Nations. Data compiled up to August 31, 2026, shows that about 20,000 deportees were sent to Mexico, while the remainder were dispersed across 27 countries in Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific region. Additionally, formal agreements are reportedly in place with seven more countries.

The terms of the agreements vary widely, with differences over the nationalities eligible for deportation and whether individuals with criminal records can be accepted. An earlier inquiry found that the U.S. has employed visa restrictions and bans on several African nations to pressure them into accepting deportees. Legal experts have raised concerns that many deportees are effectively placed in a “legal black hole,” detained without charge and stripped of rights in countries where they lack substantive ties.

A little-known unit within the State Department, the Office of Remigration, established in May 2025, has overseen most of the negotiations and financial transfers related to these deals. The office is led by Christian Jove Ehrhardt, a diplomat with a security background. Ehrhardt’s visits to Cameroon culminated in a memorandum of understanding signed in December 2025, allowing the country to receive deportees. Shortly thereafter, Cameroon entered a nearly $400 million five-year health assistance agreement with the U.S., followed by an additional $30 million commitment to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to support voluntary refugee returns and combat irregular migration. Cameroon received its first flight of deportees on January 14, 2026.

Other recipient countries have signed direct financial agreements. Palau, a Pacific island nation with fewer than 18,000 residents, agreed in December 2025 to accept up to 75 migrants in return for $7.5 million, although only three individuals have been sent so far. In Eswatini, 32 people have been deported since July 2025 under a $5 million-plus contract permitting the acceptance of migrants with criminal records.

Internal State Department documents indicate that $81 million of the total funds were allocated to governments participating in the program, with the remainder supporting aid organizations. Over $178 million has been directed to the International Organization for Migration and $123 million to UNHCR. While these agencies have faced criticism for their involvement in the deportation program, UNHCR maintains that it is not party to bilateral U.S. agreements and insists that the funding is used appropriately to strengthen asylum infrastructures.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.