Investigation: US secretly deported 25,000+ migrants to third countries

2026-09-20 17:08 UTC – 2026-09-22 15:53 UTC

Neutral summary

The Forbidden Stories consortium, which brought together 26 media outlets including RFI, The Washington Post, The Guardian, France 24, and La Croix, has published “The Deportation Project” — a six-month investigation into mass expulsions by the Trump administration. According to the data, between January 2025 and August 31, 2026, the US deported at least 25,447 people to third countries they had no connection to. The Washington Post reports the deportation operation’s budget at $410 million, paid directly to host countries or UN agencies to facilitate the returns. Around 20,000 people were sent to Mexico, with the remainder dispersed across 27 countries in Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific. Journalists documented cases of deportees being detained without trial and others being moved onward to their countries of origin. The Guardian tells the story of an Iranian woman who, after a flight in shackles, was left in a country she had never heard of. O Globo reports that at least 45 Brazilians were among those deported, including a man sent to Equatorial Guinea. RFI notes the policy is run by the so-called “Office of Remigration,” created under Trump. The New York Times says the practice undermines a bedrock principle of international law that has stood for 75 years.

How it was framed

Outlets: 34. Countries: 12. Facts in the shared core: 7.

Publication timeline

2026-09-20 17:08 · France 24 (outlet profile)
The Deportation Project - Inside the Trump administration's secret deals to expel people worldwide. 72 journalists from 26 different media organisation have been working on the project for months. Tomorrow, we will take…
2026-09-21 04:59 · RFI (outlet profile)
Migrants expulsés vers l'Afrique: plongée dans la mécanique de l’administration Trump. Depuis le retour de Donald Trump, plus de 25 000 personnes ont été expulsées des États-Unis vers des pays tiers avec lesquels elles…
2026-09-21 05:00 · The Washington Post (outlet profile)
How Trump turned a refugee bureau into a $410 million deportation operation. Inside the secret deals powering the president’s push to deport migrants to countries not their own.
2026-09-21 05:00 · La Croix (outlet profile)
ICE : révélations sur les contrats de l’administration Trump avec des pays tiers pour expulser en masse. EXCLUSIF. Entre janvier 2025 et le 31 août dernier, au moins 25 400 personnes ont été expulsées par les États-Unis…
2026-09-21 05:00 · France 24 (outlet profile)
Deported to Africa: An international investigation into Trump’s migrant policy. As part of a consortium of 26 media outlets coordinated by Forbidden Stories, FRANCE 24 and RFI spent seven months investigating the secret…
2026-09-21 05:00 · France 24 (outlet profile)
‘Waiting for us to crack’: In Cameroon, the victims of Trump’s deportations face uncertain fates. Under often-secret deals struck with so-called "third countries" across Africa and Latin America, US President Donald Tru…
2026-09-21 05:00 · France 24 (outlet profile)
Deported to Africa: An international investigation into Trump’s migrant policy. For this edition of Reporters+, Karina Chabour has investigated a dark side of Donald Trump’s immigration policy. How ICE deports immigrant…
2026-09-21 05:00 · France 24 (outlet profile)
ICE, Trump and Africa: Secret deals, broken lives. For this edition of Reporters+, Karina Chabour has investigated a dark side of Donald Trump’s immigration policy. How ICE deports immigrants to so-called ‘third countri…
2026-09-21 05:00 · The Guardian (outlet profile)
Banished to alien lands: Trump’s secret deportation deals. After a plane journey in shackles, an Iranian woman found herself in the middle of Africa in a country she did not know existed. She is one of thousands deporte…
2026-09-21 05:04 · France 24 (outlet profile)
Third-country removals: Trump’s deportation policy by the numbers. Since January 2025, the Trump administration has deported more than 25,000 people to so-called “third countries” – places that are not their countries o…
2026-09-21 05:04 · RFI (outlet profile)
Forbidden Stories: une enquête révèle la mécanique mise en place par les États-Unis pour expulser en masse. Du Mexique à l’Eswatini en passant par le Panama, plus de 25 000 migrants ont été renvoyés par les États-Unis,…
2026-09-21 06:09 · franceinfo (outlet profile)
Les Etats-Unis ont expulsé plus de 25 000 étrangers dans des pays tiers, selon Forbidden Stories. Afin d’expulser des milliers de personnes du sol américain ces derniers mois, les États-Unis ont noué des accords avec un…
2026-09-21 06:24 · Sud Ouest (outlet profile)
États-Unis : « the deportation project », ou comment 25 000 étrangers ont été expulsés vers des pays tiers, parfois inconnus, via des accords secrets. Une enquête du consortium Forbidden Stories révèle que Washington a…
2026-09-21 06:30 · Clarín (outlet profile)
EEUU deportó a más de 25.000 personas a terceros países mediante acuerdos secretos, según informe. Estados Unidos deportó a más de 25,000 personas a través de acuerdos con 35 países, reveló una investigación. Estos conv…
2026-09-21 06:40 · O Globo (outlet profile)
EUA deportaram mais de 25 mil pessoas para países terceiros por meio de acordos secretos, aponta relatório. Os Estados Unidos deportaram mais de 25 mil pessoas por meio de acordos secretos com 35 países que receberam mi…
2026-09-21 07:01 · Euronews (outlet profile)
US has deported 25,000 people to third countries under secretive deals, report shows. Since US President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, Washington has been signing deals with developing countries to take migr…
2026-09-21 07:17 · Libération (outlet profile)
Les Etats-Unis ont expulsé plus de 25 000 étrangers dans plus d’une vingtaine de pays tiers depuis le retour de Trump au pouvoir. La plupart de ces remigrations ont eu lieu vers le Mexique, d’après un travail du consort…
2026-09-21 07:32 · The Insider (outlet profile)
США через третьи страны высылают мигрантов, которых суды запретили депортировать на родину из-за угрозы преследования Для соглашений о приеме депортированных администрация Трампа пообещала 38 странам не менее $410 млн.…
2026-09-21 08:06 · Ouest-France (outlet profile)
Les États-Unis ont expulsé plus de 25 000 personnes étrangères vers des pays tiers, selon une enquête internationale. Lundi 21 septembre, le consortium de journalistes « Forbidden Stories » a publié une enquête dans laq…
2026-09-21 08:11 · www.rbc.ru (outlet profile)
WP узнала о выделении США $410 млн на прием депортированных ими мигрантов. Администрация президента США Дональда Трампа выделила или пообещала выделить не менее $410 млн (около 34,52 млрд руб.
2026-09-21 08:26 · Le Monde (outlet profile)
Le « bureau de la remigration » de Donald Trump a expulsé plus de 25 000 étrangers vers des pays tiers, révèle le consortium Forbidden Stories. Cette enquête, menée par 72 journalistes de quinze pays et vingt-trois médi…
2026-09-21 08:55 · France 24 (outlet profile)
Deportation project: 72 journalists investigate US treatment of migrants. Under secretive deals with countries across Africa and Latin America, the Trump administration has deported thousands of migrants to countries th…
2026-09-21 09:14 · N1 Srbija (outlet profile)
Istraživanje: Vlada SAD deportovala više od 25.000 ljudi do 31. avgusta. Američka vlada deportovala je najmanje 25.447 ljudi u 28 trećih zemalja do 31. avgusta ove godine, pokazuju podaci objavljeni danas u okviru međun…
2026-09-21 09:16 · Le Parisien (outlet profile)
Les Etats-Unis ont expulsé plus de 25 000 étrangers dans des pays tiers, selon Forbidden Stories
2026-09-21 09:17 · Danas (outlet profile)
Međunarodno istraživanje novinara pokazalo: Amerikanci deportovali najmanje 25 hiljada ljudi. Američka vlada deportovala je najmanje 25.447 ljudi u 28 trećih zemalja do 31. avgusta ove godine, pokazuju podaci objavljeni…
2026-09-21 09:38 · Africanews (outlet profile)
Major investigation reveals scale and opacity of US deportations to Africa. The United States has deported more than 25,000 people under secretive agreements with 35 countries to take migrants with no ties to those nati…
2026-09-21 09:52 · Deutsche Welle (outlet profile)
СМИ: США тайно депортировали 25 тысяч мигрантов в третьи страны. На депортацию мигрантов в третьи страны администрация Трампа выделила 410 млн долларов. Людей высылают в страны, к которым они не имеют отношения, сообщил…
2026-09-21 10:05 · Delfi (рус.) (outlet profile)
США через третьи страны высылают мигрантов, которых суды запретили депортировать на родину из-за угрозы преследования — Guardian. Администрация президента США Дональда Трампа отправляет в третьи страны мигрантов, которы…
2026-09-21 10:41 · Le Nouvel Obs (outlet profile)
Plus de 25 000 étrangers expulsés par les Etats-Unis dans des pays tiers, révèle une enquête journalistique mondiale. Entre janvier 2025 − date du retour de Donald Trump à la Maison-Blanche − et août 2026, au moins 25 4…
2026-09-21 10:47 · RTVI.com (outlet profile)
США по секретным соглашениям депортировали 25 тыс. мигрантов в 35 стран — Forbidden Stories. США депортировали более 25 тысяч человек в третьи страны по секретным соглашениям с 35 государствами, которые согласились прин…

Factual core

The deportations involved migrants who had no ties to the destination countries.
The investigation was conducted by the Forbidden Stories consortium of journalists.
The United States has expelled 25,000 foreigners to third countries, sometimes without any prior connection to those territories.
The deportations were part of a policy implemented by the Trump administration.
The United States deported more than 25,000 people to third countries under secret agreements with 35 countries.
The US government allocated $410 million to facilitate deportations, with payments going directly to recipient countries or UN agencies.
An Iranian woman named Nika, who had received protection in the US from return to Iran, was deported to the Central African Republic.

Full methodology →