US deports 25,000 migrants to 35 countries under secret deals

The United States has deported more than 25,000 migrants to 35 countries under secret bilateral agreements since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, according to an investigation by Forbidden Stories and an international media consortium published Monday. The program targets migrants who cannot be legally returned to their countries of origin.

The administration allocated $410 million for the operations, including $81 million paid directly to governments that signed agreements. The International Organization for Migration was slated to receive over $178 million and the UN refugee agency UNHCR approximately $123 million.

“Deportees were being thrown into a "legal limbo," detained without charges in countries with which they have no ties and where they have few, if any, rights.”

At least 25,447 people had been deported to third countries by August 31, 2026. Roughly 20,000 were sent to Mexico, making it the primary destination, while the remainder were distributed across 27 other nations in Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific. Agreements with seven additional countries have been finalized.

The deals vary by nationality eligibility and conditions regarding individuals with criminal records. A lesser-known State Department unit, the Office of Remigration created in May 2025, managed most negotiations and payments. The office is led by diplomat Christian Jove Ehrhardt.

Lawyers told AFP the deportees were dumped into a "legal limbo," detained without charges in countries where they have no ties and few rights. UNHCR stated it is not a party to the bilateral agreements and that US funding is used in line with its mandate to strengthen asylum systems.