Forbidden Stories reveals US deported 25,447 people to 28 third countries under secret pacts
An investigation by 72 journalists across 15 nations details 35 bilateral deals backed by $410 million in US funding to send foreign nationals to countries where they have no prior ties.
Global investigation uncovers secret pacts
A collaborative investigation by 72 journalists from 23 media outlets across 15 countries, published by the consortium Forbidden Stories on 21 September 2026, revealed that the United States has deported at least 25,447 people to 28 third-party countries as of 31 August 2026. The operations stem from bilateral agreements with 35 nations negotiated since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. These pacts target foreign nationals residing in the United States who cannot be legally returned to their countries of origin. The investigation drew on six months of reporting and approximately 100 interviews.
- Donald Trump returns to the White House
- State Department establishes the Remigration Office
- Eswatini begins receiving deportees under bilateral deal
- United States signs pacts with Cameroon and Palau
- Deportations reach 25,447 individuals across 28 third countries
- Forbidden Stories publishes international investigation findings
Operations and funding breakdown
To manage the deportations, the Trump administration created the Remigration Office within the State Department in May 2025, led by 41-year-old diplomat Christian Jové Ehrhardt. Washington allocated at least $410 million to finance host governments and international partner bodies facilitating returns. From this total, $81 million went directly to signatory governments, while over $178 million was designated for the International Organization for Migration and approximately $123 million for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Around 20,000 of the 25,447 transferred individuals were sent to Mexico, while the remaining deportees were dispersed among 27 other nations across Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific region.
- International Organization for Migration
- 178 $M
- UNHCR
- 123 $M
- Host governments
- 81 $M
Diplomatic pressure and bilateral agreements
The terms of the bilateral accords differ by partner nation, setting specific rules on accepted nationalities and criminal histories. US negotiators approached 49 of the 54 African countries to propose hosting third-party deportees. Washington paired negotiations with economic levers, including threats of tariffs, visa issuance suspensions, and foreign aid reductions to secure compliance. In December 2025, the United States signed a memorandum of understanding with Cameroon, followed one week later by a five-year, $400 million health assistance program. In the Pacific island nation of Palau, a December 2025 accord offered $7.5 million to accept up to 75 deportees, with three people transferred so far. Eswatini signed a deal worth over $5 million to host up to 160 individuals, receiving 32 people since July 2025.
Legal conditions and agency reactions
Legal specialists cited in earlier reporting noted that individuals relocated under these arrangements enter an undefined legal status in destination countries, where they face detention without formal charges and restrictions on civil rights. Following the signing of pacts, several partner countries saw US visa restrictions and trade tariffs lifted. In response to the investigative findings, UNHCR stated to Forbidden Stories that it remains uninvolved in bilateral deportation accords and uses US funds strictly to strengthen national asylum mechanisms within its mandate. The International Organization for Migration indicated that it reviews financial contributions based on their direct impact on migrants, maintaining that its participation helps improve conditions on the ground.
