The Trump administration has deported more than 40,000 migrants to third countries since the president returned to office, according to preliminary government data. A Reuters investigation documented 40 cases where these deportations involved LGBT individuals who had previously been granted U.S. legal protection from persecution in their home countries but were sent to African nations that criminalize same-sex relations or are considered hostile by the State Department.
The policy marks a shift from previous administrations, where removals to countries other than a migrant's nation of origin were rare. The current administration has facilitated these removals through agreements with foreign governments. While U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy blocked the policy in February, calling the expectation for migrants to preemptively claim protection from every country on Earth an "absurdity," the Supreme Court stayed that ruling on September 29, 2024.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesman Chandler Rebel stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not enforce laws based on sexual orientation and described third-country removals as an "essential public safety tool." Of the 40 cases tracked, 16 individuals remain in their destination countries, some in detention, while 16 others were eventually repatriated to their home countries against their will. Nine remain in hiding, and one individual is missing.
On a day-to-day level, affected individuals report significant changes to their safety and living conditions. One Togolese man reported being held under police surveillance in Sierra Leone before being sent back to Togo, eventually fleeing to Ivory Coast with only $100. A Ghanaian woman moved to northern Nigeria to escape Cameroon, where she now lives in hiding due to local laws that include stoning as a penalty for same-sex acts. These migrants notice an immediate loss of the work authorization and physical security they held while in U.S. custody or under U.S. legal protection.
The policy sets a precedent for how the U.S. fulfills its international and domestic protection obligations, with critics such as former immigration official Claire Trickler-McNulty arguing it undermines the asylum system. The knock-on effects include increased strain on human rights organizations and legal advocacy groups, such as Immigration Equality, which must now track clients across multiple continents. What happens next depends on the U.S. Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear oral arguments on the legality of third-country deportations in December 2026. Until then, the administration is legally permitted to continue these removals.