ICE Expands Third Country Deportations to Africa

Over a 10-day period, the Trump administration deported more than 100 individuals from Afghanistan, Cuba, Nicaragua, and other nations to eight countries in Africa, according to internal U.S. government documents obtained by CBS News. Three Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) flights transported deportees to Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Liberia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone. None of the deportees were from the countries where they were sent. The flights included individuals from Iran, Nepal, Turkey, Venezuela, and African detainees not originating from the nations of deportation. The documents indicate a continuation of the Trump administration's campaign to utilize "third country" deportation agreements to relocate groups of deportees to countries where they have no connections. More than 30 countries globally have consented to accept such deportations from the U.S., including Costa Rica, Panama, and Paraguay in Latin America. An increasing number of African nations have also established agreements with the Trump administration, including the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan, which are facing armed conflict and human rights issues. The agreements have generally been kept confidential, with some countries like Ghana and Sierra Leone only accepting deportees from other African nations. Countries such as Eswatini, the Central African Republic, and Liberia have received detainees from Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Some deportees to Africa have criminal records, while many others lack criminal histories beyond immigration violations. The latest ICE flights included deportees to Sierra Leone and the Central African Republic, where the U.S. State Department has issued a Level 4 advisory warning against travel due to violence and insecurity. CBS News contacted the Departments of Homeland Security and State for comments on the deportations. The Department of Homeland Security stated, "If an illegal alien chooses to file a claim in court refusing to go to their home country, we are required by law to find a safe and secure nation for them to go to. If an illegal alien chooses to go home, we will give them a free flight home and a $3,000 check. The choice is theirs." Among those deported was an Afghan man, identified as Khalil, whose family assisted U.S. forces against the Taliban and who had received legal protection in a U.S. immigration court. Khalil crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in 2024 and was held in ICE custody. His immigration lawyer indicated that he was granted withholding of removal in August 2025, but this did not prevent his deportation to a third country. Alma David, Khalil's lawyer, expressed concern that such actions undermine the global refugee protection system. Zachary Schmidt, a Marine colonel who supervised Khalil's brother, voiced worries about Khalil's safety in the Central African Republic and the potential for his return to Afghanistan, where he could face threats from the Taliban. Schmidt emphasized the U.S. commitment to protect those who assisted American efforts in Afghanistan, stating, "We have to keep that promise."