The Trump administration’s use of third-country deportations is rapidly expanding, with more than 100 people removed from the United States to eight African nations during a 10-day period, according to internal U.S. government documents obtained by CBS News. The group included nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba, Nicaragua, Iran, Nepal, Turkey and Venezuela, along with African nationals sent somewhere other than their countries of origin.
Three ICE deportation flights carried the migrants to Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Liberia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. None of the people on those flights were nationals of the African countries where they landed, putting a sharper spotlight on a policy that allows the U.S. to deport migrants to countries with which they may have no previous connection.
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How Trump’s Third-Country Deportation Network Is Expanding Across Africa
The latest flights offer a revealing look at how third-country removals have become a growing part of U.S. immigration enforcement. Rather than returning migrants directly to their home countries, American authorities are increasingly relying on agreements with other governments to accept deportees.
More than 30 countries worldwide have agreed to receive U.S. deportees through such arrangements, including Costa Rica, Panama and Paraguay. African nations have increasingly joined the network, with countries such as the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan entering agreements with Washington.
The arrangements differ. Ghana and Sierra Leone appear to have accepted deportees from elsewhere in Africa, while Eswatini, the Central African Republic and Liberia have received people from Latin America, Europe and Asia. Many of the agreements have remained largely out of public view, leaving questions about how long deportees can stay, what legal status they receive and whether they could eventually be sent onward.
Criminal histories have also featured in the program. Some migrants deported to Eswatini and South Sudan had been convicted of serious or violent crimes in the U.S. Others, however, had no criminal history beyond immigration violations such as unauthorized entry or lacking documentation.
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Central African Republic Deportation Raises Fresh Security Questions
The latest flight ended with detainees being taken to Sierra Leone and the Central African Republic. The latter has attracted particular scrutiny because of its continuing instability and security risks.
The U.S. State Department classifies the Central African Republic as Level 4: Do Not Travel, citing unrest, crime, kidnapping, landmines, health threats and terrorism. It also warns that the U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services there.
That environment has intensified questions surrounding the decision to send migrants to the country, especially those who had already secured protection from removal to their homelands. The Central African Republic has faced prolonged armed conflict and political instability and has also relied on Russian military personnel and mercenaries.
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Afghan Man Khalil Deported Despite Withholding of Removal
Among those sent to the Central African Republic was 24-year-old Khalil, an Afghan man whose surname has not been publicly disclosed because his family fears Taliban retaliation.
Khalil crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in 2024 after traveling through Latin America. His immigration lawyer said he remained in ICE custody throughout his time in the United States and had traveled to join his brothers.
His family has deep ties to the U.S. military effort in Afghanistan. One brother came to America in 2014 because of his work alongside U.S. forces while serving in the Afghan Army. Another brother was a pilot who fought the Taliban and was killed during the war.
In August 2025, an immigration judge granted Khalil withholding of removal, determining that he could face persecution if returned to Afghanistan. He was not granted asylum, which provides broader protection. Legal documents cited in reporting say his asylum claim was denied under a Biden-era policy that disqualified certain applicants who had not sought protection in other countries before reaching the U.S.
The crucial distinction is that withholding of removal prevented the U.S. from sending Khalil directly to Afghanistan, but it did not legally bar his removal to a third country.
His case now sits at the heart of the debate over whether migrants protected from return to dangerous homelands can nevertheless be transferred to countries where they have little or no connection.
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Lawyer and Former Marine Raise Alarm Over Khalil’s Safety
Khalil’s immigration lawyer, Alma David, sharply criticized the deportation.
“The goal is to obliterate the global refugee protection system, and his case should serve as a warning of the unconscionable consequences,” David said.
The Center for Constitutional Rights also documented a related case involving an Afghan man granted withholding of removal whose lawyers attempted to stop a third-country deportation.
Zachary Schmidt, an active-duty Marine colonel who supervised Khalil’s brother during his Afghanistan deployment, testified during Khalil’s proceedings. Schmidt said he had witnessed Taliban threats against members of the family.
“It is my belief that if Khalil gets sent back to Afghanistan, that he will be killed,” Schmidt told CBS News, speaking in his personal capacity.
He also highlighted the promise the U.S. made to Afghans who assisted American forces:
“The deal is that if you help us, and help rebuild your country, we will look out for you. We’ll help you and your family,” Schmidt said. “We have to keep that promise.”
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DHS Defends Third-Country Deportations as a Choice
The Department of Homeland Security defended the policy, arguing that migrants who challenge removal to their home countries trigger the need to find another destination.
“If an illegal alien chooses to file a claim in court refusing to go to their home country, we are required by law to find a safe and secure nation for them to go to. If an illegal alien chooses to go home, we will give them a free flight home and a $3,000 check. The choice is theirs,” DHS said.
The State Department declined to comment on specific diplomatic arrangements or authenticate the leaked documents. A spokesperson said the department would not comment on “private diplomatic communications with other governments” or the “authenticity or veracity of allegedly leaked documents.”
“Implementing the Trump Administration’s immigration policies is a top priority for the Department of State,” the spokesperson added. “We remain unwavering in our commitment to end illegal and mass immigration and bolster America’s border security.”
The expanding network has already included Liberia, which agreed to accept as many as 1,200 third-country deportees, while Eswatini has received multiple groups from countries including those in Latin America. Recent reporting also documented migrants being transferred onward to Equatorial Guinea after refusing to leave a plane in Liberia.
For critics, the policy risks weakening protections against persecution. For the administration, it offers another mechanism for removing people who cannot be sent directly home. The latest African flights show that third-country deportations are no longer an occasional workaround but an increasingly significant part of U.S. immigration enforcement.
For people such as Khalil, that distinction carries enormous consequences: an immigration judge found that returning him to Afghanistan could expose him to persecution, yet that protection did not prevent his transfer to another country.
Disclaimer: This article is based on thorough research of publicly available government information, legal records and reporting from CBS News, the U.S. Department of State, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Associated Press and Reuters, with information available as of September 1, 2026. Details surrounding individual deportation agreements can change, and some diplomatic arrangements remain confidential or disputed.
Sources
- CBS News
- U.S. Department of State — Central African Republic Travel Advisory
- Associated Press — Trump administration deports relative of Afghans who helped U.S. military to Central African Republic
- Reuters — Migrants flown to Equatorial Guinea after resisting Liberia deportation
- AP News — Eswatini receives 2 more US deportees under a controversial third-country deal
- Businessday NG — Liberia agrees to receive up to 1,200 US deportees in new migration deal
- Center for Constitutional Rights — Afghan Man Granted Withholding of Removal / Third-Country Deportation Case
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