Trump Administration Deports 25,000 Migrants to Third-Party Countries

The Donald Trump administration has deported more than 25,000 migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers to third-party countries since January 2025. This operation is managed by the newly created Office of Remigration within the State Department, which has negotiated secretive deals with approximately 35 nations across Africa, Latin America, and the Pacific. The U.S. has pledged at least $410 million to support these arrangements, including $81 million in direct payments to foreign governments and funding for UN agencies like the International Organization for Migration.

Mexico is the primary destination, receiving approximately 20,000 individuals. Other recipients include Guyana, which received $7.7 million to accept third-country nationals, and Palau, which agreed to take up to 75 nationals for $7.5 million. In Haiti, the U.S. has deported over 450 people since the termination of Temporary Protected Status in July 2026, with flights landing in Cap-Haïtien because Port-au-Prince remains unsafe.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and border czar Tom Homan have defended the removals as law enforcement. However, a joint investigation by Forbidden Stories and other media outlets warns that these policies create a legal black hole, facilitating the forced return of refugees to dangerous homelands. While a federal appeals court recently ruled certain deportation methods unlawful, the administration continues to utilize all legal means to reach a goal of one million annual deportations.