Third Country Deportations

What does “third country deportation” mean?

The term generally describes removal to a country where the person is not a citizen. It covers different arrangements, including temporary reception, detention, and transfers connected to asylum procedures. The destination may be unfamiliar. An agreement between governments does not, by itself, tell a family where someone will live or whether they can stay there.

Third Country Deportation Watch, a project of Refugees International and Human Rights First, reported more than 25,000 transfers to at least 29 countries as of early September 2026. Most were to Mexico. Its tracking distinguishes countries that signed agreements from countries that actually received people. Tracker and methodology

Can someone with protection against deportation still be sent elsewhere?

Some protections apply to a particular country. Withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture can prevent return to the country named in the order while leaving removal elsewhere possible. These protections differ from asylum. A phrase such as “protected from deportation” can leave out those country-specific limits, so an attorney needs to review the actual order, the proposed destination, and the procedures that apply. EOIR explanation, 8 CFR 1208.16(f)

The legal position is changing. Reuters reported that, on September 18, the First Circuit largely upheld a ruling against DHS’s policy allowing rapid third-country removals without a meaningful chance to raise safety concerns. DHS said the decision was not yet in effect. Transfers may not have stopped. An attorney must check the current orders and how they apply to an individual case. Reuters report

What has been reported about people sent to third countries?

CNN correspondent Isobel Yeung interviewed people sent from the United States to the Central African Republic, a country other than their own. CNN reported that a June 11 flight carried 18 people. Interviewees described being told little about where they were going and struggling after arrival. Some alleged beatings during the deportation process; a U.S. official denied those allegations, and DHS maintained that those deported had received due process and had final removal orders. The State Department’s advisory for the Central African Republic is Level 4, “Do Not Travel.” CNN transcript, State Department advisory

John Washington’s reporting for LOOKOUT describes Pietro Graza, a gay Brazilian man detained in Arizona and sent through Liberia to Equatorial Guinea. According to the article, an immigration judge had granted him Convention Against Torture protection against return to Brazil. Graza told the reporter that police confiscated his phone on September 8, and the reporter’s messages went unread from September 9. ICE had not immediately responded to the reporter’s questions about his treatment. LOOKOUT reporting

His case raises a question specific to LGBTQ+ people: how they are treated in the receiving country. The State Department’s 2023 human rights report on Equatorial Guinea described violence against LGBTQI+ people by security forces. That report predates these events. State Department report, archived by ecoi.net

We cite these accounts as published reporting. We have not reviewed the underlying orders, and news coverage cannot tell us where any of these people are today or establish anyone’s diagnosis.

What can a psychological evaluation document?

An evaluation can examine how a proposed transfer, a separation, or a loss of contact affects the person being assessed. We ask what they know, where that information came from, and what has changed in their daily life. In a hardship case, the focus is the qualifying relative identified by the attorney. We ask about the support their family member provides and what arrangements would be possible if that person were somewhere else.

The questions are practical. Has sleep changed since contact stopped? Is the person missing work while trying to locate their relative? Who now handles appointments or caregiving? How does the family stay in touch? We establish when each change began, consider earlier difficulties and other explanations, and assess what support remains. Familiar housing, a shared language, or nearby relatives should not be assumed simply because someone is being deported.

When LGBTQ+ experiences are relevant, we ask about actual experiences of discrimination, safety concerns, and sources of support. We do not assume that every person has the same history or the same family relationships. A partner, a friend, or a chosen family member may be the one providing daily support.

Clinical interviews, evaluator observations, appropriate standardized assessments, and reviewed records form the basis of the report. We distinguish reported fears from documented events and explain gaps in the evidence. If the destination or the timing is unknown, any opinion about future effects has to state its assumptions and its limits.

General information, current as of September 19, 2026. This article is not legal advice. Consult your immigration attorney about your circumstances and current policy.