The Trump administration has significantly expanded the use of “third-country” deportations, a policy under which immigrants are removed to nations other than their country of origin. According to data from Third Country Deportation Watch, nearly 20,000 individuals have been sent to third countries since January 2025.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) utilizes this strategy when removal to a migrant’s home nation is deemed “impracticable, inadvisable, or impossible.” At least 34 countries, including Costa Rica, Equatorial Guinea, and Uzbekistan, have entered into agreements to receive these individuals. While the administration argues this allows for the swift removal of individuals whose home countries refuse repatriation, legal experts warn the practice creates significant humanitarian risks and prolonged detention cycles.
Immigration advocates report that migrants are often held in ICE facilities for months while the government identifies a receiving nation. In some instances, individuals have been sent to regions facing conflict or health crises. The policy has drawn intense scrutiny regarding the rights of asylum seekers, many of whom have been granted “withholding of removal” by U.S. judges due to credible fears of persecution in their homelands.
Legal challenges, such as writs of habeas corpus, are increasingly used by detainees to contest these transfers. While the Supreme Court allowed the government to proceed with certain third-country removals in the 2025 case DHS v. D.V.D., litigation continues to test the boundaries of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Critics emphasize that the strategy separates families and places migrants in nations where they have no existing connections, often leaving them in precarious conditions.