The United States has deported more than 25,000 people to countries other than their nations of origin under a network of largely opaque bilateral agreements, according to a major investigative report published Monday by Forbidden Stories and a consortium of international media outlets.
The investigation found that at least 25,447 individuals had been removed to third countries by August 31, 2026. The vast majority approximately 20,000 were sent to Mexico under an informal arrangement. The remaining deportees were dispersed across 27 other countries in Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific. Agreements have been finalized with seven additional nations.
These “third-country” removals form a central element of the Trump administration’s second-term immigration enforcement strategy. Since taking office in January 2025, the administration has negotiated deals with 35 countries, many of them developing nations, to accept migrants and asylum seekers who cannot be returned to their home countries due to legal protections against persecution or other barriers.
Internal government records reviewed by The Washington Post as part of the reporting show the administration has authorized or pledged at least $410 million to facilitate these agreements.
Funds have been directed both as direct payments to foreign governments and to United Nations agencies supporting returns or related operations. A little-known State Department unit, the Office of Remigration created in May 2025, has handled much of the negotiation and financing.
Human rights lawyers and advocates have described the process as placing deportees in a “legal black hole.” Many individuals arrive in countries where they have no prior ties, may not speak the language, and often lack legal status or clear pathways to protection. Reports cite cases of arbitrary detention, family separation, and subsequent onward transfers sometimes back to the countries the individuals originally fled.
The administration has defended the approach as necessary to overcome obstacles to direct repatriation and to advance its broader deportation goals.
Officials have emphasized that the focus includes individuals with criminal records, though critics note that the third-country program has also affected asylum seekers and others granted protections against return to their home nations.
Earlier congressional scrutiny, including a February 2026 minority report from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats, had already highlighted high per-person costs in some early deals and limited transparency.
The new consortium reporting provides the most comprehensive public accounting to date of the scale and structure of the program.