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ICE expands third-country deportations, sending 100+ migrants to Africa

Aug 30, 2026

ICE expands third-country deportations, sending 100+ migrants to Africa
Photo via CBS News

Over a 10-day period, ICE deportation flights sent more than 100 people from countries including Afghanistan, Cuba, Nicaragua, Iran, Nepal, Turkey and Venezuela to eight African nations—Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Liberia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone—none of whom were nationals of the receiving countries. The flights are part of an expanding Trump administration campaign using third-country agreements, with some deportees sent to countries facing armed conflict and human rights concerns, such as the Central African Republic, which is under a State Department advisory warning Americans to avoid travel there. More than 30 countries worldwide have agreed to accept third-country deportees, including Costa Rica, Panama and Paraguay, with some African nations such as Ghana and Sierra Leone limiting acceptance to deportees from other African countries. While some deportees sent to Eswatini and South Sudan have been convicted of violent crimes in the U.S., many others sent to Africa have no criminal history beyond immigration violations.

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