Third Country Deportations Tracker ompiles publicly available information to document third country deportations from the United States. This is a fast-moving area of policy, and the tracker may not reflect every country or agreement. If you believe we’re missing information, have suggestions for coverage, or have questions, please contact us. Last updated: July 2026 Unless otherwise noted, all updates below are using publicly available information as of July 2026. Jump to: Legal Framework | Asylum Cooperative Agreements | International Law | Countries in Africa | Countries in Asia | Countries in Latin America | Countries in the Caribbean | Countries in Europe | Countries in Oceania Transfer Hubs | Advocacy & Litigation |Responses from Intergovernmental Organizations | DHS Documents | Congressional Oversight and Investigations | Resources Introduction Since February 2025, the United States has dramatically expanded deporting people to countries where they have no citizenship, family, or ties, often with little or no notice, and without a meaningful chance to contest it. This tracker, developed by USCRI’s policy and advocacy team, documents those third country deportations and agreements such as Asylum Cooperative Agreements enabling these removals, country by country. It also traces the U.S. law, litigation, and international response shaping the practice. Third country deportations are deportations of an individual to a country with which they have no meaningful ties (ex. country of nationality or last country of habitual residence). Since February 2025, third country deportations have been systematically pursued as an immigration enforcement tool in the United States. The practice can result in torture, cruel treatment, arbitrary detention, and other serious human rights abuses. Based on USCRI’s analysis of publicly available government data, court records, and reporting from media and civil society organizations, over 19,000 people have been deported to at least 25 countries as of June 2026. The United States is not alone in pursuing third country deportations, and similar schemes have been proposed or put in place around the world. However, it is distinct in several ways, from the lack of advance notice provided to noncitizens prior to deportation, denial of a meaningful opportunity to challenge the deportation, to the withdrawal of responsibility of the individual post-deportation. The United States has also deported people with humanitarian-based protections in direct contravention to both U.S. and international law. The Agreements: As of July 2026, the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government has pursued agreements with over 50 countries to accept third country deportees. In exchange for accepting non-nationals, foreign governments have in return received money, visa restriction lifts, and other favorable treatment from high level officials in government. Most of these agreements are not made public. Congress has not specifically appropriated funds for third country deportation payments to foreign governments. A Senate Foreign Relations Committee minority report found that the Administration provided at least $32.3 million to five foreign governments. Taken from U.S. Soil: Those subject to third country deportation are individuals who have been arrested by U.S. immigration enforcement from their homes, communities, or jobs. Others have been arrested when they showed up for mandatory U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) check-ins or court hearings. Some were in immigration detention, another immigration enforcement tool that has increasingly been used to illegally detain people without reasonable suspicion. In many cases, individuals do not receive notice of their deportation or their final destination country before being boarded onto a flight. If individuals receive notice, it is usually in English, even if they cannot understand. Individuals subject to third country deportation typically have no choice in where they are sent, a practice that raises serious due process and human rights concerns, particularly when the receiving country may not be safe in general or for them in particular. Flights leaving the United States may stop in transit on U.S. occupied soil or another country before arriving in the country that agreed to accept third country deportees. Landing in an Unfamiliar Country: In almost every case, individuals have no ties to the third country. It may even be their first time on the continent. Upon landing, the individuals are subject to the laws and policies of the third country. Once individuals leave U.S. airspace, the United States supposedly withdraws all responsibility. In a third country, individuals are at increased risk of chain refoulement, or removing a noncitizen to a third country who then removes the noncitizen to a country where they face risk of harm, torture, or persecution. The third country may have already started facilitating their returns to their country of origin. In some cases, the third country may not have strong diplomatic ties with a deported individual’s country of origin, further complicating the individual’s return. In the meantime, individuals have been forcibly detained in airports, prisons, hotels, and military camps in the countries in which they have been deported. Although many of the countries have laws for refugees and asylum seekers, those rights do not seem to be afforded to individuals who may be forcibly returned to a country where they fear persecution or torture without notice and without a meaningful opportunity to challenge the return. Legal Framework While the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and other U.S. law does not absolutely prohibit third country deportations, there are safeguards that the U.S. federal government must follow. Deporting any noncitizen to a place where their life or freedom would be threatened violates domestic and international law. Deporting certain humanitarian immigrants, including refugees and asylees, disregards the protections Congress intended when it passed the Refugee Act of 1980. U.S. Law The below chart outlines U.S. law around third country deportations for certain categories of noncitizens. Chart 1. U.S. Law on Third Country Deportations Chart 1 - Click to Expand Noncitizen Category Third Country Deportations Applies to all of the categories below Before any removal, constitutional guarantees and safeguards must be afforded to noncitizens. The United States may not remove noncitizens to any country where their life or freedom would be threatened because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. The United States may not remove noncitizens to a country where they would be tortured. Sources: 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3); 28 C.F.R. § 200.1 Asylum Applicant May be sent to a “safe third country,” pursuant to a diplomatic agreement with assurances that the individual’s life or freedom would not be threatened on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Once deported, the individual would have access to claim asylum or equivalent temporary protection in that country. The United States has had a safe third country agreement with Canada since 2002. Recently, new agreements have been signed with countries around the world. Jump to section “Asylum Cooperative Agreements.” Source: 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(2)(A) Asylee (Asylum Granted) Third country deportations are not allowed before a formal termination of asylum status is final. A grant of asylum is for an indefinite period of time. An asylee is authorized to stay and work in the United States. An asylee is eligible to apply for a green card after one year of residence in the United States. Sources: 8 C.F.R. 1208.14(e); 8 U.S.C. § 1158(c)(1) Asylee Grant Terminated In order for an asylee to be deported, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must pursue a formal termination of asylum status. There must be a reason for termination, such as a fundamental change in country conditions or the asylee is a danger to national security. DHS must provide adequate notice of a request to reopen a case in immigration court. An immigration judge must exercise their discretion in granting the motion to reopen. During the proceedings, the asylee is granted the right to be represented. If an immigration judge finds sufficient grounds for termination, the individual may be removed to a third country pursuant to a diplomatic agreement with assurances that the individual’s life or freedom would not be threatened on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. The individual must be eligible to receive asylum or equivalent temporary protection in the third country. Source: 8 U.S.C. § 1158(c)(2) Withholding of Removal A grant of withholding of removal does not afford an individual the level of permanency or family reunification as asylum. A grant of this status means that the individual cannot be returned to their country of nationality or place of last residence where their life or freedom would be threatened. Multiple courts have held that noncitizens cannot be removed to a country that was not designated by an immigration judge as a possible country for removal. In order to propose another country for removal, proper notice and an opportunity to be heard must be afforded to the noncitizen. In order to ensure compliance with the Convention against Torture (CAT), of which the United States is a signatory, the Secretary of State must receive assurances from the country’s government that a noncitizen would not be tortured. The Secretary must ensure that assurances are sufficient enough that the deportation would be consistent with Article 3 of the CAT. Sources: 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3); 8 C.F.R. §§ 1208.16(f), 1208.17(a); 28 C.F.R. § 200.1; Andriasian v. INS, 180 F.3d 1033, 1041 (9th Cir. 1999); Kossov v. INS, 132 F.3d 405, 408-09 (7th Cir. 1998); El Himri v. Ashcroft, 378 F.3d 932, 938 (9th Cir. 2004); Aden v. Nielsen, 409 F. Supp. 3d 998, 1004 (W.D. Wash. 2019) Convention against Torture (CAT) Relief A grant of relief under CAT does not afford an individual the level of permanency or family reunification as asylum. An individual could be granted withholding of removal or deferral of removal under CAT. DHS must seek a formal termination of this status before removing a noncitizen through filing a motion, providing notice, and a hearing. The noncitizen must have an opportunity to submit additional evidence. The immigration judge must make a de novo determination as to whether the noncitizen’s case warrants CAT relief. In order to remove an individual to a third country, the Secretary of State must receive assurances from the country’s government that a noncitizen would not be tortured. The Secretary must ensure that assurances are sufficient enough that the deportation would be consistent with Article 3 of the CAT. Sources: 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3); 8 C.F.R. §§ 1208.16(f), 1208.17(d), (f), 1208.18(c)–(d); 28 C.F.R. § 200.1 Any other noncitizen ordered removed For any other noncitizen ordered removed, immigration officials must first allow the noncitizen to designate a country for removal. The Attorney General cannot ignore the noncitizen’s designation, unless they fail to designate a country promptly, the designated country refuses to accept the noncitizen, or removal to the designated country would be prejudicial to the United States. After exhausting the possibility of removal to the designated country, a noncitizen may be removed to an alternative country, including: The country from which the noncitizen was admitted from the United States, The last foreign port in which the noncitizen left for the United States, The noncitizen’s country of birth, or The country that had sovereignty over the noncitizen’s birthplace. After exhausting those options, a noncitizen may be removed to another country that will accept the noncitizen. Sources: 8 U.S.C. §§ 1231(b)(2)(E), (b)(3) Asylum Cooperative Agreements Individuals who are physically present or who have arrived in the United States can seek asylum in the United States. In the United States, asylum may be granted to a noncitizen who meets the definition of a “refugee”—an individual who is outside of their country of nationality or last habitual residence who is unwilling to return to that country due to a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Under international law, the right to seek asylum is universal. See Article 14, Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Under U.S. law, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) lists several exceptions to the right to apply for asylum (e.g., one year time limit, prior denial), including the “safe third country” exception. The “safe third country” exception requires a diplomatic agreement with another country in order to apply to an individual seeking asylum in the United States. Such agreements may be called “asylum cooperative agreements” or “safe third country agreements.” “Asylum cooperative agreements” (ACAs) are agreements whereby a country agrees that it will accept third country nationals seeking asylum in the United States to be deported to its territory. The INA states that in order for the safe third country exception to apply, the country cannot be one in which the individual would face a risk to life or freedom on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. The individual must have access to a full and fair asylum procedure (or equivalent protection) in that country. See 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(2)(A). Unaccompanied children cannot be subject to this exception. See 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(2)(E). The safe third country exception can apply to asylum seekers during expedited removal procedures and in both affirmative and defensive proceedings. See 84 Fed. Reg. 63,994, 8 CFR 208.30(e)(7); 8 CFR 1208.4(a)(6); 8 CFR 1240.11(h). In 2019, DHS and DOJ published an interim final rule to modify agency rules to give effect to the ACAs signed with El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The ACA with Guatemala went into force before the agreements were largely curtailed by the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, the U.S. Government formally suspended the ACAs. Current Use of ACAs Based on current laws and regulations, anyone who has entered the United States on or after November 19, 2019, who is seeking asylum in the United States can be subject to an ACA deportation. Unaccompanied minors are excepted. As of the latest page update, the U.S. Government is using ACAs to deport individuals who have pending asylum applications in immigration court, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). Asylum Cooperative Agreements represent the clearest type of agreement behind third-country deportation