The United States has deported more than 25,000 people to third countries where they have no ties, according to an investigation cited by multiple outlets. The reporting says the practice follows agreements signed by the Trump administration after it took office in January 2025.
The outlets describe deals involving dozens of receiving countries, with figures varying in emphasis but converging on about 35 countries. Several sources say the agreements are tied to payments to receiving governments and, in some cases, to UN agencies or other organisations that may facilitate returns. One report cited by Dawn and others also states that at least $410 million has been earmarked for the arrangement.
Different outlets focus on different elements: some stress the secrecy of the deals and the lack of a home link for deportees, while others add detail on the scope of countries involved or the financial and administrative mechanisms. Across the coverage, the investigation’s core claim is that US deportations are being carried out through negotiated third-country arrangements with countries that are not the deportees’ own.
