Tracking All of Trump’s Known Third-Country Removals
Trump's ICE has expelled an estimated 23,000 people to countries where they have no ties. Find out where they are going, what happens to them, and who profits.
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” here, 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 violate U.S. and international law. An estimated 23,000 people have been expelled from the US in this manner during Trump’s second term so far, 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.
When I first published this tracker in September 2025, it 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 the charter flights facilitating these removals. Their site includes countries that have signed agreements but have not yet taken any third-country nationals; mine includes only confirmed third-country removals. 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 Sept. 11, 2026 to update the entries for Cameroon, Costa Rica and Israel with new flight data.
AFRICA
BURUNDI
Date(s): Aug. 27, 2026 (likely)
Who: Unknown.
How: Via a Boeing 767 (N703KW) operated by Eastern Airlines.
Imprisoned? Unknown.
Deal: Burundi made an agreement with the United States in April 2026 to begin accepting third-country nationals. A $129 million aid package agreed upon two months earlier may be related, according to RI/HRF.
Now: So far, little is known about how many people were transferred there and what conditions they face.
More: NYT: Trump Wants to Make Deportation Deals. Autocrats Are Ready to Listen.
CAMEROON
Date(s): Jan. 15, 2026; Feb. 16, 2026; April 28, 2026; May 27, 2026; Aug. 6, 2026; Aug. 20, 2026; Sept. 11, 2026 (likely)
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: Five men and two women from Ethiopia, two men from Zimbabwe, and one woman from from an unknown country. Aug. 6, and Aug. 20: Unknown.
How: Jan. 15: Via a Boeing 767 (N207AX) operated by Omni Air International. Feb. 16: Via a Boeing 767 (N225AX) operated by Omni. April 28: Via a Boeing 767 (N225AX) operated by Omni. May 27: Via a Boeing 767 (N703KW) operated by Eastern Airlines. Aug. 6: Via a Gulfstream V (N588TN) operated by Journey Aviation. Aug 20: Via a Boeing 767 (N700KW) operated by Eastern Airlines. On Sept. 11: Via a Gulfstream V (N120LW) operated by Talon Air.
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. All subsequent groups have been sent to the same facility.
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; July 30-31, 2026; Aug. 28, 2026
Who: June 12: Eighteen people from Afghanistan, Armenia, Cameroon, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Tunisia, and Turkey, according to Human Rights Watch. Some or all were legal asylum-seekers without criminal records, including a women who fled persecution in Iran. July 30: Dozens of people from Afghanistan, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Romania, Turkey, and Vietnam, according to multiple passengers on flight, including Aristides Fernandez Garcia, a Cuban national who spoke to Memo Torres at L.A. Taco. Plus, at least one man from Nepal, according to his attorney. On Aug. 28, up to 70 people, many of whom came from Afghanistan and Iran, including Khalil, a 24-year-old relative of people who assisted the US military during the Global War on Terror, according to the New York Times.
How: On June 12, via a Boeing 767 (N207AX) operated by Omni Air International. July 30 and Aug 28: Via a Boeing 767 (N700KW) operated by Eastern Airlines.
Imprisoned: Yes, in a hotel.
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. Fernandez Garcia told L.A. Taco he'd been given a 90-day visa but had no idea what he was going to do after it expired.
More: NYT: Relative of Afghans Who Helped U.S. Military Is Deported to Africa
L.A. Taco: Cuban Asylum Seeker Deported to Africa Without ID, Money or Cell Phone
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): June 12, 2025; Aug. 26, 2025; Dec. 7, 2025; Jan. 25, 2026. Likely also Dec. 6, 2025, Feb. 11, 2026, and March 29, 2026.
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 June 12, via a Boeing 767 (N486AX) operated by Omni. On Aug. 26, from the US to Egypt via a Boeing 777 (N846AX) operated by Omni; 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; 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; 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, according to witnesses, and are now missing.
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; July 29-30, 2026; Aug. 20, 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, Ahmed Soliman. On June 18, eight people, including two women from Jamaica, Natalie Holmes and Peta-Gaye Chambers, and citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda and possibly one other country. On July 29: Approximately 10 people, according to AFP. On Aug. 20: Thirteen people, including three people from Cuba, and one each from Brazil and Cameroon.
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. On June 17, via a Boeing 767 (N207AX) operated by Omni. On July 30, via two Gulfstream Vs (N588AT and N588TN) operated by Journey. On Aug. 20, via a Boeing 767 (N703KW) operated by Eastern Airlines.
Imprisoned? Yes. They are held at Hotel Bamy in Malabo under armed guard and in unsanitary conditions and are pressured to return to their countries of origin. Migrants held there have contracted malaria and typhoid, according to their attorneys. On the night of July 31, Soliman, Holmes, and Chambers say they and two others were cuffed, beaten, and threatened at gunpoint by armed guards.
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.
More: Arizona Daily Star: U.S. Deportees Assaulted, Threatened in Equatorial Guinea
Arizona Daily Star: Arizona Man Languishes in African Hotel After Third-Country Deportation
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; Aug. 27, 2026
Who: In July 2025, five men including Roberto Mosquera del Paral of Cuba, Orville Etoria of Jamaica, and three men from Laos, Vietnam and Yemen. All had completed prison sentences in the US, sometimes many years ago. 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 including a Cambodian national named Pheap Rom, plus men from 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 from "mostly African countries," according to the Eswatini government, including Mauritania. In Aug. 2026, two people from Latin American countries.
How: In July 2025, 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 Oct. 2025, via a Gulfstream IV (N352BH) operated by Journey Aviation. In March 2026, via a Gulfstream V (N59JE) operated by Talon Air. In July 2026, two Gulfstream Vs (N588AT and N588TN) operated by Journey. In Aug. 2026, via a Boeing 767 (N703KW) operated by Eastern Airlines.
Imprisoned? Yes, in a maximum-security prison used for political prisoners, who have previously reported beatings and denial of food. For the first few months, migrants were also subjected to solitary confinement until Mosquera held a 30-day hunger strike.
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. Three people were repatriated in Aug. 2026 – a man from Mauritania, a man from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and a man from Somalia. In April, Eswatini’s highest court ruled the migrants 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; May 27, 2026; June 9, 2026; July 31, 2026. There have have been more than a dozen additional ICE flights to Ghana in 2026 where the expulsion of third-country nationals has been neither confirmed nor ruled out.
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, and M.M., a gay Gambian national, both of whom had withholding of removal orders because of persecution they faced in their countries of origin. On May 27: Unknown. On June 9: Seven people from Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, according to HRF. On July 31, about 30 people from West African countries, according to Mohamed Bayo, a Guinean passenger on the flight. Aug. 19: Unknown.
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. On May 27, via a Boeing 767 (N703KW) operated by Eastern Airlines. On June 9, via a Gulfstream V (N59JE) operated by Talon Air. On July 31, via a Boeing 767 (N700KW) operated by Eastern. On Aug. 19, via a Gulfstream V (N59JE) operated by Talon Air.
Imprisoned? The first group was imprisoned in an open-air military camp for several weeks. Subsequent groups were imprisoned at hotels and boardinghouses near the airport.
Deal: The Trump administration agreed to lift visa restrictions on Ghanaians, consider extending a trade deal and reevaluate its 15 percent tariff on Ghana.
Now: In most cases, the migrants are held for several hours or several days before being forced back to their countries of origin, despite nearly all having won court protections from chain refoulement. A smaller number have been forced across the border into Togo without any identification, rendering them effectively stateless. Kuyateh was beaten by Ghanaian soldiers while being forced back to Sierra Leone, where she escaped again and is now in hiding in a neighboring country. A coalition of human-rights groups, led by Ghanaian human-rights attorney Oliver Barker-Vormawor, have challenged the agreement in Ghana’s Supreme Court and the regional ECOWAS Court of Justice.
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
LIBERIA
Date(s): Aug. 19-20, 2026
Who: Fifteen people from Africa and Western Hemisphere countries, according to a statement from the Liberian government. Five migrants who refused to get off the plane were then flown to Equatorial Guinea, where they were forced off the plane, according to Reuters.
How: Via a Boeing 767 (N700KW) operated by Eastern Airlines.
Imprisoned? Unclear. Liberia says it will “shelter” the migrants but does not say if they will have freedom of movement.
Deal: In a statement, Liberia insisted there was no “quid pro quo” and that it did not ask for or received payment for taking the migrants. It did, however, say it would “receive support to help manage the program and strengthen its migration system more broadly.” It is unclear what exactly that means.
Now: Liberia said the migrants would be “received as guests” and have the chance to apply for asylum in Liberia.
More: The American Prospect: Liberia Joins Trump's 'Third-Country Deportation Network
RWANDA
Date(s): April 3-4, 2025; Aug. 15-18, 2025; Aug. 20, 2026; Aug. 27, 2026
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. Aug 16, 2025: Seven people of unknown nationalities. Aug. 20 and Aug. 27, 2026: Unknown.
How: In April likely via a Gulfstream V (N176SM) operated by Aircraft Transport Service and an additional unknown aircraft. On Aug. 15-16, 2025, via two Gulfstream Vs (N588AT and N996GA) operated by Journey Aviation. On Aug. 20, 2026, via a Gulfstream V (N62FF) operated by Journey. On Aug. 27, via a Boeing 767 (N703KW) operated by Eastern Airlines.
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; July 30-31, 2026; Aug. 28, 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. On July 31: Approximately 10 people, per AFP. On Aug. 28: Unknown.
How: On May 19, via a Boeing 767 (N225AX) operated by Omni. On June 18, via a Boeing 767 (N207AX) operated by Omni. On July 30 and Aug. 28, via a Boeing 767 (N700KW) operated by Eastern Airlines.
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
BELIZE
Dates(s): July 10, 2026; July 30, 2026.
Who: On July 10, one Haitian national, and on July 30, four Haitian nationals and one person each from El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, according to local media.
How: On July 10, via an Airbus A320 (N281GX) operated by GlobalX. On July 30, via an Airbus A321 (N570TA) operated by GlobalX.
Imprisoned? Unclear but unlikely.
Deal: Under the agreement signed last year, Belize agreed to take a maximum of 10 people per year from the Caribbean or Central America, excluding Guatemalans. It is unclear what Belize is getting in exchange; lawmakers there have suggested the Trump administration’s threats to cut a development grant was connected to negotiations for the deal.
Now: Under the terms of the deal, the migrants should be able to apply for asylum in Belize, and officials in Belize told local media the first arrival will permanently resettle there.
More: Greater Belize: Belize Welcomes First Asylum Seeker Under US Deal
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; July 9, 2026; July 16, 2026; July 23, 2026; July 30, 2026; Aug. 6, 2026; Aug. 13, 2026; Aug. 20, 2026; Aug. 28, 2026; Sept. 3, 2026; Sept. 10, 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). Since June 11: 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. July 9: Via an Airbus A320 (N642VA) operated by GlobalX. July 16: Via an Airbus A320 (N281GX) operated by GlobalX. July 23: Via an Airbus A320 (N630VA) operated by GlobalX. July 30, Aug. 6, Aug. 13, and Aug. 20: Via an Airbus A321 (N530FL) operated by GlobalX. Aug. 28: Via an Airbus A321 (N570TA) operated by GlobalX. Sept. 3: Via an Airbus A320 (N281GX) operated by GlobalX. Sept. 10: Via an Airbus A319 (N316NV) 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
DOMINICA
Date(s): July 22, 2026
Who: Unknown.
How: Via a Bombardier CRJ-200 (N459AW) operated by Air Wisconsin.
Imprisoned? Unclear.
Deal: In March, Dominica’s prime minister said under the deal, the Trump administration had agreed to pay expenses for logistics, accommodation and support services for a maximum of 28 third-country nationals per year.
Now: Unknown.
More: Miami Herald: Antigua, Dominica Cave to Washington’s Third Country Demand
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. 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
GUYANA
Date(s): Sept. 4, 2026
Who: Four Cuban nationals and and two Afghan nationals between the ages of 20 and 36, according to the Guyana Times.
How: Via an Airbus A321 (N277GX) operated by GlobalX.
Imprisoned? Unknown.
Deal: The Guyana government said it was receiving “a limited, vetted number of skilled and non-criminal individuals through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Assisted Voluntary Return Programme” – notable given that the migrants were involuntarily removed – and that the US and IOM would pay for their care. It was noncommital about if the migrants would be offered resettlement, or where they would go if they weren’t.
Now: Unknown.
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: Mostly by bus over the US-Mexico border and into southern Mexico.
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.
NICARAGUA
Date(s): March 20, 2025; May 9, 2025; other undetermined dates between January 2025 and June 2026
Who: 116 nationals from 16 countries, according to data from the Deportation Data Project analyzed by Confidencial Nicaragua. The countries of origin are: Honduras (22 people), Cuba (19), Ecuador (17), Guatemala (11), Colombia (11), Peru (7), Venezuela (6), El Salvador (6), Nigeria (5), and one or two each from Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, India, Iran, and Mexico. Note: Because of numerous data-entry errors by US immigration officials, some of these records may not be accurate.
How: March 2025: Via an Airbus A320 (N276GX) operated by GlobalX. May 2025: Via an unknown flight. There are currently two weekly ICE removal flights to Nicaragua, but there is little information on which hold third-country nationals and which hold only Nicaraguan deportees.
Imprisoned? Unknown. Nicaraguan deportees have been subjected to “intensive surveillance” by the Ortega-Murillo regime, according to Confidencial, but there is little information on what happens to third-country nationals.
Deal: Nicaragua does not appear to have signed an agreement with the Trump administration but is taking the third-country nationals on an ad-hoc basis.
Now: Unknown
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; June 19, 2026; July 23, 2026; Aug. 20, 2026.
Who: April 22: 16 migrants from Bolivia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Spain, according to RI/HRF. May 21: 10 migrants from Bolivia, Chile, and the Dominican Republic, according to ABC Paraguay. June 19: 12 migrants from Ecuador, Honduras, and Peru, according to the Paraguay government. July 23 and Aug. 20: Unknown.
How: April 22: Via an Airbus A320 (N278GX) operated by GlobalX. May 21: Via a Boeing 767 (N705KW) operated by Eastern Airlines. June 19: Via a Boeing 767 (N700KW) operated by Eastern. July 23: Via a Boeing 767 (N700KW) operated by Eastern. Aug. 20: Via a Boeing 767 (N771KW) operated by Eastern.
Imprisoned: Local media said they were “under the care of the International Organization on Migration” and would stay for several days at a hotel at US expense, but it is unclear 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 from Paraguay. However, as of late June, none had successfully been granted asylum, according to RI/HRF. All have been returned to their countries of origin within days.
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
SAINT LUCIA
Date(s): Aug. 31, 2026
Who: Five men and one woman of unknown nationalities.
How: Via a Bombardier CRJ-200 (N413AW) operated by Air Wisconsin.
Imprisoned? Unknown.
Deal: The US and St. Lucia signed a memorandum of understanding in Jan. 2026, which St. Lucia's legislative body approved in Aug. 2026. Compensation has not been estimated but will be included, according to External Affairs Minister Alva Baptiste.
Now: Unknown. Baptiste said IOM would assist migrants with return to their countries of origin, and that staying in St. Lucia long term may be possible for some migrants.
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; June 9, 2026 (likely); Sept. 10, 2026 (likely)
Who: Jan. 21: Eight Palestinians, including 47-year-old Sameer Isam Aziz Zeidan and 24-year-old Maher Awad, according to the Guardian; Feb. 1 and June 9 and Sept. 10: Unknown.
How: On Jan. 21 and Feb. 1, 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. On June 9, via a Boeing 767 (N378AX) operated by Omni Air International. On Sept. 10, via a Gulfstream V (N62FF) operated by Journey Aviation.
Imprisoned: The migrants appear to have been shackled as they departed the aircraft, according to a photo obtained by Haaretz, an unusual move for an arrival country. 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 when they spoke to media were figuring out their next moves. Awad has a newborn son in the US 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: On Dec. 7, 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. On Jan. 25, via a Boeing 767 (N351AX) operated by Omni 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, 2025
Who: Approximately 55 Iranian nationals, at least one of whom was a Christian convert, another was a political dissident and ethnic minority who 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; June 9, 2026 (likely)
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. On June 9: Unclear.
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. On June 9, via a Boeing 767 (N378AX) operated by Omni.
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; June 9, 2026 (likely); Aug. 4-6, 2026
Who: March 10: Sixteen migrants including 10 Russians plus others from Eastern European countries, according to Human Rights First. April 30 and June 9: Unknown but believed to mostly Russian. August: Eleven men and women, at least one of whom was from Belarus, according to court documents.
How: In March, April, and June: Via Boeing 767s (N423AX, N486AX, and N378AX, respectively) operated by Omni Air International. In August: Via a Gulfstream V (N59JE) operated by Talon Air.
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: Why did this ICE flight turn around over the Atlantic Ocean?
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; Aug. 18, 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. Mar. 16, Apr. 29, June 29, Aug. 18: 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. On June 29 and Aug. 18, via two Gulfstream Vs (N588AT and N588TN) operated by Journey.
Imprisoned? Unclear, possibly briefly.
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
