Report shows the Trump administration made secret deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars to dump thousands of migrants in third-party nations

The Trump administration has reportedly spent hundreds of millions of dollars on a deportation system that sends migrants to countries they have no connection to, with thousands already transferred under agreements that have largely remained out of public view.

The arrangements cover 35 countries and have resulted in more than 25,000 people being deported to third nations. The transfers have involved governments across Latin America, Africa and the Pacific.

Per Euronews, an investigation found that the administration has earmarked $410 million for the program. Some of that money is intended for governments receiving deportees, while the rest is directed toward United Nations agencies involved in the process.

Thousands of migrants are being sent to countries they don’t know

The investigation found that at least 25,447 people had already been sent to third countries. Around 20,000 of them were transferred to Mexico, while others were sent across Latin America, Africa and the Pacific.

The remaining migrants were distributed among 27 other countries, with agreements finalized with additional nations. The arrangements can differ significantly, including rules governing the nationalities that can be accepted and the treatment of people with criminal records.

The financial side of the agreements is substantial. In a report by AFP, Internal State Department records reportedly show that $81 million was earmarked directly for governments that signed agreements to accept deportees.

Another portion was allocated to international organizations. More than $178 million was designated for the International Organization for Migration, while $123 million was earmarked for the UN Refugee Agency.

One example cited in the investigation involves Palau, a Pacific island nation with fewer than 18,000 residents. The country agreed to accept as many as 75 third-country nationals in exchange for $7.5 million, but only three people have reportedly been transferred there so far.

Eswatini also agreed to receive deportees under a deal worth more than $5 million. The investigation found that 32 people had arrived there, out of a possible 160, and that the country had accepted some people with criminal records.

Lawyers cited by AFP described migrants transferred through the system as being placed in a “legal black hole.” Some were held without charge in countries where they had no existing ties and limited legal protections.

The investigation also identified a relatively obscure State Department division called the Office of Remigration as the main body handling negotiations and payments. The office was created during the Trump administration and has been involved in discussions with governments across multiple regions.