US deported 25,000 to third countries, investigation says

The United States has deported at least 25,447 people to third countries under agreements with 35 countries, according to an investigation by Forbidden Stories and a consortium of international journalists.

The investigation, published Monday, said the deportations involved migrants with no ties to the receiving countries and covered people who could not legally be sent home. It said the figure was compiled through August 31, 2026.

Forbidden Stories reported that President Donald Trump's administration has earmarked $410 million for the arrangements, either as direct payments to receiving governments or as funding for UN agencies to facilitate returns.

About 20,000 people were sent to Mexico, while others were sent to 27 countries across Latin America, Africa and the Pacific, the investigation said. It said agreements had been finalised with seven more countries.

The investigation said the deals differ on which nationalities can be deported and whether people with criminal records can be accepted. It also said 49 of Africa's 54 countries had been approached about accepting third-country deportees.

Forbidden Stories reported that a State Department Office of Remigration, created in May 2025, has handled most negotiations and payments. The office is headed by Christian Jove Ehrhardt, a diplomat who previously worked as a security officer.

The investigation said Palau agreed in December 2025 to accept up to 75 third-country nationals for $7.5 million, though only three people have been sent there so far. It said Eswatini has received 32 people since July 2025 under an agreement worth more than $5 million.

UNHCR told Forbidden Stories it was not party to bilateral agreements and that US funding was being used in line with its mandate to strengthen asylum systems. An IOM spokesperson told Forbidden Stories that the agency accepts funding based on whether its engagement will improve migrants' lives.