Tracking All of Trump’s Known Third-Country Removals
Trump's ICE has expelled an estimated 19,000 people to countries where they have no ties. This tracks who they're expelling, how they get there, where they're going, and what happens to them.
This is a comprehensive list of all known third-country removals since President Trump’s second term began on Jan. 20, 2025. Before then, third-country deportations were rare.
I am using the term “third-country removals” instead of “third-country deportations,” because the latter is a legal process in which a migrant is resettled in a safe third country. What is actually happening, in nearly all cases, more closely resembles chain refoulement, rendition, or kidnapping – and may frequently violate U.S. and international law. An estimated 19,000 people have been expelled from the US in this way so far during Trump’s second term, according to Refugees International and Human Rights First. Below I have included every known instance of US immigration authorities handing over migrants to a third country without the migrant’s uncoerced consent.
An earlier version of this tracker listed removal countries in reverse chronological order, but as more and more countries have joined these ranks, that system grew unwieldy. This update lists the countries alphabetically by region.
The Trump administration has reportedly signed third-country host agreements with a number of other countries, including Guyana and Palau; they are not listed here since removals to these countries are not known to have happened yet. Similarly, the attempted third-country removal to Libya on May 7, 2025, is not listed here since it was stopped by court order. I am also not including the 16+ flights deporting Venezuelans via Honduras between Feb. and Aug. 2025, because the migrants on these flights were not transferred to the custody of a third country. The flights landed at a US military base, where the migrants boarded Venezuelan planes for the last leg of their return to Venezuela.
Because the Trump administration rarely confirms third-country removals, information about them primarily comes from court filings, flight tracking, media reports, human rights groups, and information provided by host countries. It is probable that there are third-country removals not yet known to the public.
Recently, RI/HRF have also started their own excellent website, Third-Country Deportation Watch. While much of the info on our sites overlap, there are some differences: Their site has more information on court challenges and the agreements between countries; mine has more information on charter flights facilitating these removals. Their site includes countries that have signed agreements but have not yet taken any third-country nationals; mine does not. My site counts the transfers of Palestinians to Israel and stateless people to Bhutan as third-country removals; theirs does not.
If you notice any errors or missing information, or if you would like to share information about third-country removals, please email me at gbrockell at proton dot me or message me on Signal at gbrockell.44.
I believe these removals are legally and morally wrong, and I hope the information gathered here will someday be useful in bringing justice to the people who committed them and the people subjected to them.
Last updated on July 8, 2026 to add an additional transfer of 11 people to Eswatini.
AFRICA
CAMEROON
Date(s): Jan. 15, 2026; Feb. 16, 2026; April 28, 2026; May 27, 2026
Who: Jan. 15: Nine men and women from Angola, Ghana, DRC, Morocco, and Zimbabwe, at least some of whom had withholding of removal orders, according to Refugees International/Human Rights First. Feb. 16: Eight people from the DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. April 28: Eight or nine people, including three women from Ethiopia, one from Angola, two men and one woman from Ghana, and one man from Congo. Nearly all had protections against removal to their home countries due to persecution, including at least four LGBTQ people. Homosexuality is illegal in Cameroon. At least one man was put in a full-body straitjacket during the flight after expressing fear of being sent to Cameroon. May 27: Unknown.
How: Jan. 15: Via a Boeing 767 (N207AX) operated by Omni Air International. Feb. 16: Via a Boeing 767 (N225AX) operated by Omni Air International. April 28: Via a Boeing 767 (N225AX) operated by Omni Air International. May 27: Via a Boeing 767 (N703KW) operated by Eastern Airlines.
Imprisoned? Yes. The first group told the New York Times they were being held at a government compound and pressured to return to their countries of origin.
Deal: The US State Department withheld $30 million in aid until Cameroon agreed to a deal to take hundreds of third-country nationals, according to NYT. The US also did not criticize Cameroonian President Paul Biya’s violent crackdown on protesters there while they were negotiating the deal.
Now: As of mid-February, two of the nine in the first group have returned to their countries of origin, including a queer woman who said her family threatened to kill her after she came out to them.
More: NYT: In Secret Deportation Deal, U.S. Leveraged Favors and Funds
NYT: US Deports Nine Migrants in Secret, Ignoring Legal Protections
DW: Donald Trump’s Latest Visa Ban Hits African Countries Hard
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Date(s): June 12, 2026
Who: Nearly two dozen people from Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria, according to the New York Times. Some or all were legal asylum-seekers without criminal records, including two women who fled persecution in Iran, and an elderly Syrian man with diabetes. In late May, a US judge barred ICE from removing a Turkish man to the Central African Republic.
How: Via a Boeing 767 (N207AX) operated by Omni Air International.
Imprisoned: Unclear.
Deal: Reuters reported on a deal between the Central African Republic and the Trump administration had been reached on May 18, but did not have any details of what CAR would receive in exchange for taking the migrants. CAR is one of the most impoverished countries on the planet and has endured years of civil unrest.
Now: The International Organization on Migration has said it will assist the new arrivals, as it has in other African countries that have taken third-c0untry nationals, with limited success.
More: NYT: Women who fled Iran are to be deported to Central African Republic, lawyers say
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Date(s): April 17, 2026
Who: Fifteen men and women from Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador, at least some of whom were legal asylum-seekers, including Adriana Quirones Zapata, a Colombian woman with diabetes and other complex medical issues who had been tortured by Colombian national police.
How: Via a Boeing 767 (N207AX) operated by Omni Air International.
Imprisoned: They are being detained at a hotel near the airport, which they are technically free to leave but are encouraged not to, because it is not safe, according to NPR.
Deal: Details of the deal have not been made public, but a Congolese communications minister said the US will be paying all of their expenses.
Now: After DRC said it could not handle Zapata’s medical issues, a US judge ordered her return. US authorities claimed they can’t bring her back because of the ongoing Ebola outbreak there, and the judge has reversed his earlier decision.
More: The Guardian: White House pauses removal of detainees to the DRC as Ebola outbreak widens
NPR: ‘We don’t know what will happen to us’: US deportees in limbo in DRC
Al Jazeera: South American migrants deported to DRC facing pressure to return home
Associated Press: About 15 Latin American people deported to Congo by the US
EGYPT
Date(s): Aug. 26, 2025; Dec. 7, 2025; Jan. 25, 2026. Likely also Dec. 6, 2025, Feb. 11, 2026, and March 29, 2026. Plus one other unidentified flight in early summer 2025.
Who: The confirmed flights all held Russian migrants, including dissidents and asylum-seekers. The Aug. 26 flight included dissident Artem Vovchenko. There is no information available about the migrants on the ICE flights on Dec. 6 or Feb. 11, but they were likely also third-country nationals.
How: On Aug. 26, from the US to Egypt via a Boeing 777 (N846AX) operated by Omni Air International; from Egypt to Russia likely via a Boeing 737 (SU-GED) operated by Egyptair. On Dec. 7, from the US to Egypt via a Boeing 767 (N207AX) operated by Omni Air International; from Egypt to Russia via an Airbus A330 (SU-GDV) operated by Egyptair. Jan. 25, from the US to Egypt via a Boeing 767 (N351AX) operated by Omni Air International; from Egypt to Russia via an A330 (SU-GDT) operated by Egyptair. On Dec. 6 and Feb. 11, via Gulfstream V jets (N588AT and N588TN) operated by Journey Aviation. On March 29, from US to Egypt via a Boeing 787 (SU-GET) operated by Egyptair, from Egypt to Russia via a Boeing 737 (SU-GCZ) operated by Egyptair.
Imprisoned? Yes, for several hours by Egyptian authorities, who then physically forced them onto the plane to Russia.
Deal: Unknown.
Now: Upon arrival in Russia, at least two people, including Vovchenko, were taken into custody and cannot be located, according to witnesses.
More: TPM: Trump Admin Returns Russian Dissidents to Putin
NYT: He Fled Putin’s War. The US Deported Him to a Russian Jail.
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Date(s): Nov. 24, 2025; Jan. 22, 2026; April 29, 2026; June 18, 2026
Who: On Nov. 24, nine men from Angola, Ghana, Eritrea, Georgia and a Mauritanian named Diadie Camara. All had protection from removal to their home countries and no criminal convictions, according to a human-rights attorney with knowledge of the flight. On Jan. 22, 20 migrants from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Nigeria and other African countries. The Jan. 22 flight also included one Equatoguinean. On April 29, two Cameroonian women and one Egyptian man. On June 18, eight people from Jamaica, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda and possibly one other country.
How: On Nov. 24, via a Gulfstream V (N996GA) operated by Journey Aviation. On Jan. 22, via a Boeing 767 (N351AX) operated by Omni Air International. On April 29, via a Boeing 767 (N225AX) operated by Omni Air International. On June 17, via a Boeing 767 (N207AX) operated by Omni Air International.
Imprisoned? Yes. They are held at Hotel Bamy in Malabo under armed guard and in unsanitary conditions. Migrants held there have contracted malaria and typhoid, according to their attorneys.
Deal: In early November, the AP reported a $7.5 million payment to Equatorial Guinea from State Department funds allotted for humanitarian crises. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) has questioned the legality of the payment.
Now: The migrants are pressured and/or forced by the Equatoguinean government to return to their countries of origin, including Camara, the Mauritanian man, was refouled through Morocco; he fears being returned to the chattel slavery system he escaped and is now in hiding, according to RI/HRF. In June 2026, an international consortium of attorneys sued Equatorial Guinea before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on behalf of 14 of the 40 migrants expelled there, including Camara.
The Guardian: US has sent $7.5m to Equatorial Guinea to accept noncitizen deportees
ESWATINI
Date(s): July 15-16, 2025; Oct. 4-6, 2025; March 11-12, 2026; July 7-8, 2026
Who: In July 2025, five men from Cuba, Laos, Vietnam and Yemen, plus Jamaican national Orville Etoria, who had all completed prison sentences in the US. At least three had been released into the community without incident before being detained by ICE and sent to Eswatini. DHS claimed their countries had refused to take them back, but attorneys for the men, and at least one of the countries, deny this. In October, a second group of 10 migrants from Cambodia, Chad, Congo, Cuba, Ethiopia, Haiti, the Philippines and Vietnam. In March, four people – one each from Tanzania and Sudan, plus two from Somalia. In July 2026, 11 people of unknown national origins, according to attorney Alma David speaking to Reuters.
How: In July, from the US to Djibouti via a Gulfstream V (N588AT) operated by Journey Aviation. From Djibouti to Eswatini via an Air Force C-17 Globemaster (02-1107) flying with its transponder signal turned off. In October, via a Gulfstream IV (N352BH) operated by Journey Aviation. In March, via a Gulfstream V (N59JE) operated by Talon Air. In July, two Gulfstream Vs (N588AT and N588TN) operated by Journey Aviation.
Imprisoned? Yes, in solitary confinement in a maximum-security prison used for political prisoners, who have previously reported beatings and denial of food.
Deal: Eswatini received $5.1 million from the US to take up to 160 people, according to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Now: Etoria was repatriated to Jamaica in September. Cambodian national Pheap Rom was repatriated on March 24, 2026. In April, Eswatini’s highest court ruled the remaining 17 were entitled to visits from their local lawyer. An international consortium of attorneys are also suing Eswatini in the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
More: ICE’s Eswatini flight went through US base in Djibouti; Americans stationed there are angry
Mother Jones: ICE Is Sending People to a Prison in Africa's Only Absolute Monarchy
NYT: U.S. Deportee Sent to Africa Is Repatriated by Jamaica
GHANA
Date(s): Sept. 5-6, 2025; Sept. 10-11, 2025; Oct. 12-13, 2025, Nov. 6, 2025. Since then, ICE flights have landed in Ghana at least 18 times, but no information about those flights has become known.
Who: On Sept. 5, 14 men from Nigeria and the Gambia with credible fear orders preventing deportation to their countries of origin. A DHS official told me “some” had criminal records, but this cannot be independently verified. In a court filing, one man said he was “straitjacketed for several hours” during the trip after asking to speak to his attorneys. On Sept. 10, a second group of 14 migrants from Nigeria, Liberia, Togo and perhaps Mali, who also appear to have been asylum-seekers. At least two said they were green card holders who had completed prison sentences for fraud. On Oct. 12, a third group of 14 West Africans of unknown immigration statuses. On Nov. 6, 19 West Africans, including Rabbiatu Kuyateh, a 58-year-old grandmother from Sierra Leone who had been in the U.S. for more than 30 years.
How: On Sept. 5 via a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster (03-3127) flying with its ADS-B signal turned off. On Sept. 10, Oct. 12, Nov. 5 via Boeing 767s (N486AX, N207AX and N225AX) operated by Omni Air International.
Imprisoned? The first group was imprisoned in an open-air military camp for several weeks.
Deal: The Trump administration agreed to lift visa restrictions on Ghanaians, consider extending a trade deal and reevaluate its 15% tariff on Ghana.
Now: The deal has been challenged by a human-rights attorney in Ghana’s Supreme Court; the next hearing is expected in mid-November. Ghana said all of the men in the first group were returned to their countries of origin, though attorneys for several of the men disputed this. The Gambian man, who fears persecution because he is bisexual, is in hiding. The second group told journalists they were driven to the border with Togo and forced to cross without their passports or other ID. As of Sept. 29, they are in hiding in Togo. Little is known about the status of the third and fourth groups.
More: Rolling Stone: ICE Is Deporting People to Africa on Nearly Un-Trackable Military Flights
AP: Ghana says African immigrants deported by the US have returned home
ENCA: West Africans deported by US to Ghana dumped in Togo without papers
Ghana Web: 'React in two weeks' - Supreme Court orders AG in suit over US deportation to Ghana
RWANDA
Date(s): April 3-4, 2025; August 15-18, 2025
Who: Iraqi national Omar Ameen and seven unidentified migrants. Ameen came to the US with his family as a refugee and was later accused of a murder in Iraq. Though a US judge ruled Ameen could not have committed the murder and could not be deported to Iraq, the Biden administration continued with Ameen’s third-country deportation process up until Trump took over in January. The seven other people arrived in August.
How: In April likely via a Gulfstream V (N176SM) operated by Aircraft Transport Service and an additional unknown aircraft. In August, via two Gulfstream Vs (N588AT and N996GA) operated by Journey Aviation.
Imprisoned? Unknown.
Deal: Rwanda $7.5 million from the US, according to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Now: Ameen had many media contacts but has not been heard from publicly since his removal, suggesting he has been imprisoned. Of the second group, Rwanda told AP three wanted to return to their countries of origin, and four wanted to settle in Rwanda, but provided no information on whether they are being detained or have freedom of movement.
More: The Handbasket: US “relocates” Iraqi refugee to Rwanda via new diplomatic arrangement
AP: Rwanda says 7 deportees arrived from the US in August under agreement with Washington
SIERRA LEONE
Date(s): May 19-20, 2026; June 18, 2026
Who: While 25 West African nationals were expected on May 19, only nine arrived, according to the BBC – two women and seven men; five from Ghana, two from Guinea and one each from Nigeria and Senegal. They appeared to be “forlorn,” BBC said, and one had to be physically forced from the plane. On June 18, 12 West African nationals, according to the Associated Press.
How: On May 19, via a Boeing 767 (N225AX) operated by Omni Air International. On June 18, via a Boeing 767 (N207AX) operated by Omni Air International.
Imprisoned: Unknown.
Deal: Sierra Leone has agreed to take 25 West Africans per month, with a maximum of 300 per year. The US is paying $1.5 million “cover the humanitarian and operational costs linked to this agreement,” according to a document viewed by AFP.
Now: A local contractor told BBC they would house the migrants for two weeks before they were sent to their countries of origin. The migrants will be allowed to stay in Sierra Leone for 90 days, Foreign Minister Timothy Musa Kabba told AFP, and “can then return to their country of origin.” He did not say if they will be forced to return.
More: BBC: Sierra Leone becomes latest African country to receive deportees from US
AFP: Plane with first migrants expelled from US lands in Sierra Leone
Reuters: Sierra Leone to take in hundreds of West Africans deported by US, minister says
SOUTH SUDAN
Date(s): May 20-July 4, 2025
Who: Seven men originally from Cuba (2), Laos, Mexico, Myanmar (2), and Vietnam. (An eighth man removed with this group is from South Sudan.) DHS said the men had been convicted of serious crimes in the US, had completed their sentences, and that their countries of origin had refused to accept their return. Several of the countries of origin disputed that claim. The men were held in a shipping container at a US base in Djibouti for seven weeks while their court case was heard.
How: US to Djibouti via a Gulfstream V (N588AT) operated by Journey Aviation. Djibouti to South Sudan via an unidentified US military KC-135 flying with no transponder signal.
Imprisoned? Yes. They are being held a government property in Juba. Read more about their imprisonment in Djibouti here.
Deal: The South Sudanese government asked the Trump administration for a number of concessions, though as of late July, none had been approved. In November, the US ended temporary protected status for South Sudanese citizens.
Now: The Supreme Court granted the Trump administration broad powers to expel migrants in early July, and the men were delivered to South Sudan soon afterward. Mexican national Jesus Munoz-Gutierrez was repatriated in September 2025. The South Sudanese man was released around the same time. Vietnamese national Thanh Tuan Phan was released and repatriated in June 2026.
More: It Could Happen Here podcast: Rendition by Private Jet
The Intercept: Trump Administration Expels Eight Men to War-Torn South Sudan
Al Jazeera: Mexico accepts return of man deported to South Sudan from US
Eye Radio: 'Joyful to return home': Vietnamese US deportee returns home after a year in South Sudan
UGANDA
Date(s): April 2, 2026
Who: Twelve migrants of unknown nationalities, according to Reuters; eight migrants of African nationalities, according to a Uganda government statement. The reason for the discrepancy is unclear.
How: Via a Gulfstream V (N62FF) operated by Journey Aviation.
Imprisoned: Unknown.
Deal: The US and Uganda signed an agreement last July, with Uganda agreeing to accept migrants who do not have criminal records and with a preference for African migrants. It is unclear what Uganda is receiving in return.
Now: The Uganda Law Society told Reuters the migrants had been subjected to an “undignified, harrowing, and dehumanizing process,” and it planned to challenge the legality of their removal in court.
More: Reuters: Twelve deportees from US arrive in Uganda, Law Society says
THE AMERICAS
COSTA RICA
Date(s): Feb. 20, 2025; April 11, 2026; April 17, 2026; April 24, 2026; May 15, 2026; May 21, 2026; May 28, 2026; June 4, 2026; June 11, 2026; June 18, 2026; June 25, 2026; July 2, 2026
Who: Feb. 20: Approximately 200 migrants, including 81 children with their families, mostly from Central Asia. Many said they had entered the US from Mexico to legally seek asylum, had been detained, and were prevented from filing their claims before their removal. April 11: Twenty-five migrants – one from Albania, two men and two women from Cameroon, two men from China, five men and three women from Guatemala, two men and two women from Honduras, three men from India, one woman from Kenya, and two men from Morocco, according to El Observador. April 17: 22 people from Brazil (8), Romania (3), Uzbekistan (3), China (2), and one each from Belarus, India, Ireland, and Vietnam. The Irish man was described as “elderly.” April 24: 25 people from Guatemala (5), Brazil (4), Honduras (5), China (3), India (3), and one each from Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Bolivia and Romania, according to El Observador. May 15: Twelve people from Bolivia (2), Chile (1), China (6), France (1) and Madagascar (2), according to El Observador. May 21: Fifteen people from Colombia (6), China (3), Brazil (2), Uzbekistan (2), Senegal (1), and Kyrgystan (1), according to Teletica. May 28: 25 people – 18 men and seven women – from Colombia (9), Brazil (8), China (2), Senegal (2), and one each from Albania, Argentina, Mauritania, and Nepal, according to La Nación. June 4: 25 people – 13 men and 12 women – from Colombia (11), Brazil (5), Vietnam (4), Bolivia (2), China (2), and Azerbaijan (1). June 11, 18, 25, and July 2: Unknown. Local media appears to have stopped reporting on the weekly arrivals.
How: Feb. 20: Via an Airbus A320 (N630VA) operated by GlobalX. April 11: Via an Airbus A320 (N278GX) operated by GlobalX. April 17: Via an Airbus A321 (N570TA) operated by GlobalX. April 24: Via an Airbus A320 (N276GX) operated by GlobalX. May 15: Via an Airbus A321 (N570TA) operated by GlobalX. May 21: Via a Boeing 737 (N624XA) operated by Eastern Airlines. May 28: Via an Airbus A320 (N837VA) operated by GlobalX. June 4: Via Airbus A321 (N530FL) operated by GlobalX. June 11, 18, and 25: Via an Airbus A321 (N966AD) operated by GlobalX. July 2: Via an Airbus A320 (N642VA) operated by GlobalX.
Imprisoned? Feb. 20, 2025: Yes, in a former pencil factory, but released after a lawsuit. April 2026 onward: Expected to be accommodated in a hotel for one week, it is unclear if they will have freedom of movement.
Deal: The Trump administration agreed to pay for the migrants’ housing, care, and repatriation.
Now: Feb. 20, 2025: Local attorneys say about 90 have returned to their countries of origin, at least two dozen are seeking asylum in Costa Rica, and six escaped and cannot be located. April 2026 onward: All of the migrants will have the opportunity to apply for humanitarian visas to resettle in Costa Rica or to be transported to their countries of origin if they so choose, according to Costa Rican officials. Costa Rica is expected to continue to take 25 third-country nationals per week under a new deal.
More: AP: Costa Rica takes in second group of migrants deported from the US
NYT: Costa Rica Tells Trump Deportees They Can Stay and Integrate, or Leave
Reuters: US plans to fund deportations from Costa Rica, document shows
ECUADOR
Date(s): Monthly since January 2026, including June 1, 2026
Who: An unknown number of migrants from Latin American and Caribbean countries, mostly Cuba and Venezuela, including Cuban national Rogelio Bolufé on June 1, one of the organizers of the hunger strike at Delaney Hall in New Jersey, acc0rding to The American Prospect.
How: ICE flights operated by GlobalX, Eastern Airlines, and Omni Air International regularly land in Ecuador. It is unclear so far which ones have carried third-country nationals. On June 1, via a Boeing 767 (N703KW) operated by Eastern Airlines.
Imprisoned: Unclear.
Deal: The program is part of a larger negotiations between Ecuador and the US, including a $20 million security assistance pledge, relief from tariffs, the deployment of the US Air Force for a joint military operation allegedly targeting drug traffickers.
Now: More than 4,700 asylum-seekers have been designated for removal to Ecuador, according to Third Country Deportation Watch.
More: Feds Deport ICE Detainee Organizer to Ecuador
CNN: US working with Ecuador on agreement to send asylum seekers to the country
EL SALVADOR
Date(s): March 15-16, 2025; March 31, 2025
Who: 252 Venezuelans falsely claimed to be gang members and declared “alien enemies,” along with about 30 Salvadoran deportees, including Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported by mistake. All of the flights appear to have violated a court order. Most of the migrants had entered the US legally; only six had been convicted of violent crimes.
How: On March 15-16 via three Airbus A320s (N278GX, N837VA, N630VA) operated by GlobalX, also known as Global Crossing Airlines. On March 31 via an unknown military aircraft.
Imprisoned? Yes, in the notorious Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, where they were frog-marched and had their heads shaved for a perverse propaganda video.
Deal: The Salvadoran government received $4.76 million from the US, according to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Now: The Venezuelans were freed and repatriated in a US prisoner exchange after four months and have begun telling their stories of the horrific conditions, beatings and sexual assaults they endured at CECOT. Abrego was sent back to the US, where he was detained on specious charges and is now being threatened with third-country removal to Uganda.
More: ProPublica: Who Are the Venezuelan Immigrants Trump Sent to CECOT?
The Bulwark: How a Makeup Artist Survived the World’s Worst Prison
AP: US seeks to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda, court filing shows
GUATEMALA
Date(s): Oct. 10, 2025; ongoing
Who: Three Honduran nationals put on a flight with Guatemalan deportees, according to the Guatemalan government. It is unclear if any had court orders prohibiting their deportation to Honduras. There were two ICE flights to Honduras the same day.
How: Because there were three ICE flights to Guatemala that day, it is unclear which one held the Honduran nationals – a Boeing 737 (N803XT) operated by Avelo Airlines, the Airbus A321 (N966AD) or the Airbus A320 (N628VA) operated by GlobalX.
Imprisoned? Unlikely.
Deal: The US agreed to pay for the third-country nationals’ return to their countries of origin.
Now: The Guatemalan government said they were transported to the border with Honduras and repatriated. More third-country nationals are expected.
More: Al Jazeera: First US flight with third-country deportees arrives in Guatemala
HONDURAS
Date(s): Ongoing since June 2025, including June 4, 2026 and June 11, 2026
Who: An unknown number of migrants from other Central American countries.
How: Via flights also carrying deported Hondurans, mostly operated by GlobalX and Eastern Air Express. On June 4, via a C-17 (08-8196) operated by the US military. On June 11, via a C-130 (04-3143) operated by the US military.
Imprisoned? No.
Deal: Unknown
Now: DHS described a June agreement as a “safe third-country” agreement, where Central Americans can apply for asylum. Honduras has one of the highest crime rates in the world and is not safe for Hondurans, let alone vulnerable asylum-seekers.
More: AP: US says Guatemala and Honduras agree to take asylum-seekers
MEXICO
Date(s): Ongoing since Jan. 20, 2025
Who: At least 16,000 people from Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, according to Refugees International and Human Rights First.
How: Via numerous ICE flights to southern Mexico that also include Mexican deportees, and by land at the US-Mexico border.
Imprisoned? No.
Deal: There is no extant agreement. A version of this started under President Biden under limited circumstances. ICE appears to be manipulating and obfuscating detained migrants’ circumstances to shoehorn them into these removals.
Now: Once in Mexico, third-country nationals who want to continue to their countries of origin are offered transportation to Mexico’s southern border. Many plead asylum in Mexico, but the system is currently overwhelmed by the number of new applications. Local aid groups are struggling to care for the ones who remain.
PANAMA
Date(s): Feb. 12-15, 2025
Who: Feb. 12-15: Approximately 300 people, including many families, mostly from Central and East Asian countries. Many said they had entered the US from Mexico to legally seek asylum, had been detained, and were prevented from filing their claims before their removal. This includes Iranian Christian families and at least one Afghan man who said he helped the US military during the war in Afghanistan.
How: Via US Air Force C-17 Globemasters (09-9210, 08-8200 twice)
Imprisoned? Yes, in a hotel and then a detention camp. Released after a lawsuit.
Deal: Unknown.
Now: Local attorneys say about 170 have returned to their home countries; the rest were freed from detention after a lawsuit. As of May, NYT reported about 50 remained in legal limbo and were living in a gymnasium shelter or hotel rooms provided by UNICEF.
More: Human Rights Watch: 'Nobody Cared, Nobody Listened'
NYT: Migrants Deported to Panama Ask: 'Where Am I Going to Go?'
NYT: U.S. Bill Named for Artemis Ghasemzadeh Aims to Shield Asylum Seekers
PARAGUAY
Date(s): April 22-23, 2026; May 20, 2026
Who: April 22: 16 migrants of unknown nationalities, according to Reuters. May 21: 10 migrants from Bolivia, Chile, and the Dominican Republic.
How: April 22: Via an Airbus A320 (N278GX) operated by GlobalX. May 21: Via a Boeing 767 (N705KW) operated by Eastern Airlines.
Imprisoned: Unclear. Local media said they were “under the care of the International Organization on Migration” but did not say if they had freedom of movement.
Deal: Paraguay and the State Department signed an agreement in August, made public in December. It is unknown if Paraguay is receiving payment, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated it was at least getting economic concessions and military assistance.
Now: Under the terms of the agreement, all of the migrants should be eligible to apply for protection from removal to their home countries in Paraguay, but protection is not guaranteed. Local media reported everyone in the April 22 group returned their countries of origin.
More: Reuters: Paraguay receives 16 third-country migrants deported from the US
SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
Date(s): May 19, 2026
Who: Three people from Jamaica and Belize, according to local media.
How: Via an Airbus A320 (N628VA) operated by GlobalX.
Imprisoned: No.
Deal: SKN has agreed to take any Caribbeans except Haitians and without a serious criminal record, according to an announcement in January. Third Country Deportation Watch notes the deal was signed at a time when the US was acting aggressively in the Caribbean, invading Venezuela and continuing to attack fishing boats.
Now: The migrants will be able to return to their countries of origin if they wish to but will not be forced to do so, according to a statement from the SKN government.
More: SKN News: St Kitts and Nevis Receives 3 CARICOM Nationals from USA Under Migration Agreement
ASIA
BHUTAN
Date(s): Between March and July 2025, exact dates unclear
Who: At least 27 stateless refugees stripped of citizenship by Bhutan in the 1990s due to their ethnicity who legally resettled in the US. All who were recently detained and removed appear to have had criminal records, ranging from traffic violations to juvenile offenses and assault, and had completed their sentences years ago. Because they are stateless and were re-expelled, I am including their removals to Bhutan as third-country removals.
How: Unclear. Because of the lack of details, I have not been able to identify the flights used for these removals. It is possible they were removed via commercial flights. Soon after their arrivals, all appear to have been taken by Bhutanese authorities to the Indian or Nepali borders and expelled again.
Imprisoned? Yes, briefly, in Bhutan. At least four were also detained in Nepal for illegal entry.
Deal: Unknown
Now: Some have returned to the same refugee camps in Nepal they left decades ago. Some are in hiding in India or Nepal, others are missing, according to family members in the US.
More: DW: Bhutanese deported from the US again face statelessness
NPR: A refugee deported to Bhutan by the U.S. is now stateless
ISRAEL
Dates(s): Jan. 21, 2026, Feb. 1, 2026
Who: Jan. 21 flight: Eight Palestinians, including 47-year-old Sameer Isam Aziz Zeidan and 24-year-old Maher Awad, according to the Guardian; Feb. 1 flight: Unknown
How: Via a Gulfstream IV (N352BH) operated by Journey Aviation. Journey leases the aircraft from Israeli-American billionaires who built luxury condos with Trump and was previously used to transfer third-country nationals to a prison in Eswatini, which I reported for Zeteo last October.
Imprisoned: The migrants appear to have been shackled as they departed the aircraft, according to a photo obtained by Haaretz. Awad told the Guardian they were taken to a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank by Israeli authorities and dumped on the side of the road.
Deal: Unknown.
Now: The eight men in the first group contacted relatives and are now figuring out their next moves. Awad has a newborn son he has never met.
More: Haaretz: U.S. Deports Eight Palestinians to West Bank Using Private Jet
KUWAIT
Date(s): Dec. 7, 2025, Jan. 25, 2026
Who: Dec. 7: Approximately 55 Iranians, who had entered the US through the southern border and were detained until their asylum claims were denied, according to Iranian officials. Jan. 25: 40 Iranian asylum-seekers and other detained migrants, according to Iranian officials
How: Via a Boeing 767 (N207AX) operated by Omni Air International to Kuwait, and likely an Airbus A320 (9K-AKR) operated by Kuwait Airways to Tehran.
Imprisoned? Unknown, but like other transfer deportations in Qatar and Egypt, the migrants were likely forced onto the flight to Tehran by Kuwaiti authorities.
Deal: Unknown.
Now: About 2,000 Iranians may be deported via transfer through a third country, according to the New York Times.
More: NYT: US Deports Second Planeload of Iranians, Officials Say
QATAR
Date(s): Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2025
Who: Approximately 55 Iranian nationals, at least one of whom was a Christian convert, another was a political dissident and ethnic minority and was forced onto the flight. Some had pending asylum hearings, others’ asylum claims had been rejected. A DHS official said some had criminal convictions, an unverifiable claim DHS frequently makes, sometimes falsely.
How: From the US to Qatar via a Boeing 767 (N819AX) operated by Omni Air International. From Qatar to Iran via a Boeing 787 (A7-BCJ) operated by Qatar Airways.
Imprisoned? Briefly, by Qatari authorities, who beat and dragged them onto the Qatar Airways flight.
Deal: The Trump administration said the Iranian government had agreed not the harm the migrants upon their return, though there is no mechanism in place to ensure their safety.
Now: Many of the migrants told NYT they have been contacted by Iranian authorities for interrogation. Some say family members are being harassed. At least one has fled to a neighboring country and is in hiding.
More: ‘It Feels Like I'm in a Nightmare’: Inside the First Deportation Flight to Iran
NYT: U.S. Deports Planeload of Iranians After Deal With Tehran, Officials Say
UZBEKISTAN
Date(s): April 30, 2025; March 10, 2026
Who: In April 2025, 131 people were removed to Uzbekistan, among them an unknown number of Kazakh and Kyrgyzs nationals along with Uzbek deportees. In March 2026, six third-country nationals, according to HRF.
How: In April 2025, via a Boeing 787 (UK-78706) operated by Uzbekistan Airways; in March 2026, via a Boeing 767 (N423AX) operated by Omni Air International.
Imprisoned? Unknown.
Deal: Unknown.
Now: The government of Uzbekistan agreed to return the Kazakh and Kyrgyz nationals to their countries under “humanitarian and legal principles” but has provided no information on if it achieved that goal. All three countries are authoritarian states with no free press. The fate of the six transported in March 2026 is unknown.
More: Radio Free Europe: US Deports Over 100 Central Asian Nationals With Uzbekistan’s Cooperation
ICE Flight Monitor on September flight to Uzbekistan
EUROPE
MOLDOVA
Dates(s): March 10, 2026; April 30, 2036
Who: March 10: 16 migrants including 10 Russians plus others from Eastern European countries, according to Human Rights First. April 30: Unknown.
How: On March 10 and April 30, via Boeing 767s (N423AX and N486AX) operated by Omni Air International.
Imprisoned: No.
Deal: Unknown.
Now: Some are trying to stay in Moldova, while others plan to return to their countries of origin, according to Russian dissident Telegram channel Agency News. A human rights worker told Agency News they were trying to obtain a French visa for one of them.
More: Agency News: Russians expelled from the US disembark from deportation flight in Moldova
Human Rights First: March 2026 Monthly Report
POLAND
Date(s): Nov. 17, 2025; March 16, 2026; April 29, 2026; June 29, 2026
Who: Nov. 17: Fifty Ukrainian nationals, some of whom have lived in the US since they were children. Many feared being drafted into the Ukrainian military. March 16, April 29 and June 29: Unknown.
How: On Nov. 17, via a Boeing 767 (N423AX) operated by Omni Air International to Poland. From Poland to Ukraine via unknown ground transportation. On March 16, via two Gulfstream Vs (N588TN and N86MS) operated by Journey Aviation. On April 29, via a Boeing 767 (N486AX) operated by Omni Air International. On June 29, via two Gulfstream Vs (N588AT and N588TN) operated by Journey Aviation.
Imprisoned? No.
Deal: Unclear.
Now: The migrants on the first flight were forcibly transferred by ground to Ukraine. The fate of the migrants in the proceeding groups is unclear. Domestic and international law bars removal of migrants to active warzones.
More: NPR: U.S. deports dozens of migrants to Ukraine amid war
Thank you for reading. I am a former Washington Post staff writer, and as far as I know, I’m the only journalist in America covering ICE flights full time. I am committed to keeping this reporting non-paywalled, but if you are able, please sign up for a paid subscription or send me a one-time tip, so I can continue this important work. –Gillian
