What is Trump’s third-country deportation policy and who does it target?
Key questions answered about scheme that has sent more than 25,000 people to countries that are not their own
TL;DR
- Over 25,000 migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers have been deported to third countries under Trump's administration since 2025.
- The policy involves 35 deals with foreign governments, with nearly a third of these countries located in Africa.
- The US has committed at least $410 million to secure these agreements, using both direct payments and foreign aid budgets.
- Individuals deported include a nurse, an anti-government protester, and a gay man fleeing persecution, contradicting the administration's claim of focusing solely on criminals.
- A US federal appeals court recently ruled the third-country removals policy unlawful due to due process violations, though the government plans to appeal.
- The policy is reportedly led by Stephen Miller and run out of the new Office of Remigration within the Department of State.