US Deports 25,000 Migrants to 35 Countries They've Never Seen
A sweeping investigation reveals the Trump administration has deported over 25,000 people to third countries with no ties to them, under secret agreements costing taxpayers millions.
The United States has deported more than 25,000 migrants to 35 countries under secretive agreements that send people to nations where they have no connections, according to a new international investigation published Monday [246765]. The deportations are part of the Trump administration's mass deportation programme, which has struck deals with countries willing to accept migrants who are not their citizens [247904].
Many of those deported are Latino immigrants who now live in legal limbo in African countries, with no ties there, no legal status, and little hope of returning home [242926]. An Iranian woman was flown from the United States in shackles and left in a country in Africa she did not know existed [246250]. She is one of thousands deported under these secret deals.
No one told the 18 shackled detainees on one US immigration plane where they were going. Officers taunted them when they asked, and the migrants only learned their destination when a map appeared on the seat-back video screens [246250]. The investigation reveals these "show of force" deportations are costing American taxpayers millions [246250].
Migrants convicted by US courts have been imprisoned in Eswatini, Africa's last absolute monarchy, over the past several months. After being deported from the United States, they arrived in a country they knew nothing about, where local residents view these "criminal" newcomers with suspicion [247904].
The findings come from "The Deportation Project," a collaboration between Forbidden Stories and a network of 72 journalists across 15 countries [247904]. The project examines the system that removes migrants from the United States and reveals the policy's reach [246735].
The deportations have also drawn political backlash. A Republican congresswoman says Hispanic voters who supported President Trump feel "betrayed" by his immigration crackdown. Rep. María Elvira Salazar made the comment as the administration increases deportations, and political analysts say the backlash could hurt Republicans in the midterm elections [244242].