The Trump administration established a network of third-country transfer agreements with more than 30 governments and used them to deport over 17,400 people, in some cases in defiance of federal court orders and after individuals secured their release through habeas corpus, it says Data published Tuesday by Human Rights First and Refugees International.
The organizations report that in April 2026 the government re-arrested and forcibly transferred people who had previously been granted a grant to third countries Restraint of distance convicted by U.S. immigration judges and prevailing in habeas petitions challenging the lawfulness of their detention. The report documents an attempted transfer of people to Libya violation of a court order that came into force at that time.
Approximately 16,000 of the documented transfers were to Mexico. This number includes Thousands of individuals The administration failed to acknowledge this in a March 5 disclosure in federal court. Around 1,400 more people were sent to 20 other countries, including EswatiniSouth Sudan and Uganda. An agreement with Costa Rica from March 2026 provides for regular weekly transfers.
The tracker reports that the government paid at least $44 million to host governments in connection with the agreements and used the threat of transfer to a third country to pressure detained immigrants to give up their legal rights.
Separately, the tracker reports that prosecutors are submitting requests for “prematurely“or dismiss without reviewing the merits thousands of pending asylum cases in immigration courts based on asylum cooperation agreements with Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and Uganda.” Data The tracker was compiled by immigration advocacy group Mobile Pathways using records from the Executive Office for Immigration Review and counts nearly 9,500 such early approvals as of February 2026. The following month, the Department of Homeland Security reported directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement lawyers wanted to stop filing new applications for early approval, but did not withdraw the applications that were already pending.
The government has cited a range of statutory and constitutional powers to justify the transfers, including the Foreign Enemies Lawand the provision for suspension of entry under 8 USC § 1182(f). Federal judges have repeatedly ruled the use of these authorities unlawful, including in challenging expulsions of Venezuelans to El Salvador and forced relocations of individuals where final deportation orders were carried out without notice or opportunity to assert fear-based claims.
