The United States has deported at least 25,447 migrants to third countries since January 2025 under agreements involving nations where the deportees have no prior ties, according to an investigation by Forbidden Stories and an international consortium of journalists. The figure covers transfers through Aug. 31, 2026.

The investigation found that the Trump administration has reached agreements with 35 countries, while at least 28 have received deportees. About 20,000 of those transferred were sent to Mexico, with the remainder dispersed among countries in Latin America, Africa and the Pacific. Agreements have also been finalized with seven additional countries.

The administration has earmarked approximately $410 million for the third-country arrangements, according to the investigation. Internal State Department records reviewed by the Washington Post showed that $81 million was designated for governments participating in the agreements, while more than $178 million was intended for the International Organization for Migration and $123 million for the U.N. refugee agency.

The deals differ in their terms, including which nationalities can be transferred and whether countries will accept migrants with criminal records. The State Department created its Office of Remigration in May 2025 to handle much of the negotiations and payments. The office is led by diplomat Christian Jove Ehrhardt, who has traveled to several countries to negotiate additional arrangements.

One example is Palau, which agreed in December 2025 to accept up to 75 third-country nationals in exchange for $7.5 million in U.S. funding. Only three people had been transferred under that agreement at the time of the investigation. Eswatini, meanwhile, had received 32 people since July 2025 under an agreement allowing as many as 160 deportees.

The arrangements have drawn criticism from immigration advocates and lawyers, who have raised concerns about the legal status and treatment of people sent to countries where they have no previous connection. U.N. agencies involved in the process have defended their participation, with the U.N. refugee agency saying its U.S. funding is being used within its mandate to strengthen asylum systems, while the International Organization for Migration said it participates when it believes its involvement will improve conditions for affected migrants.