Trump's deportations of migrants to third countries, from Panama to South Sudan

Active · last development Sep 19, 2026: “Trump administration asks the Supreme Court to allow quick third-country deportations to continue”

What this arc covers

The Trump administration's deportation of migrants to countries other than their own: the deals in early 2025 under which Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama took in deportees, and the migrants left in limbo in Panama; the attempt to send men to South Sudan that a judge said violated his order, and the court fight that ended with the removals going ahead; the deportations to Eswatini and Equatorial Guinea and the deals with Rwanda, Uganda, Congo and Liberia; a judge's February 2026 ruling that the policy is unlawful; the Mexicans sent to Guatemala and Honduras; and the administration's September 2026 request that the Supreme Court let quick third-country deportations continue.

United States Department of Justice

Earliest story we hold Feb 5, 2025 · 32 stories · 124 independent sources (counted once each) · 591 days

Part ofSouth SudanDonald TrumpPanamaGuatemalaHondurasDemocratic Republic of the CongoMexicoCosta Rica

Part of Trump's immigration crackdown

  1. Trump's order to end birthright citizenshipDec 8, 2024 – Sep 2, 2026
  2. Trump's deportations of migrants to third countries, from Panama to South SudanThis arcFeb 5, 2025 – Sep 19, 2026
  3. The Israel-Hamas war: the Trump administration's bid to deport student activistsMar 9, 2025 – Sep 14, 2026
  4. Trump's travel bans, from the June 2025 order to its expansionMar 15 – Dec 31, 2025
  5. Kilmar Abrego García's wrongful deportation and prosecutionApr 1, 2025 – Aug 18, 2026
  6. The conviction of Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan over an ICE arrestApr 25, 2025 – Jul 7, 2026
  7. Trump's deployments of the National Guard to Los Angeles, Chicago and PortlandJun 8 – Dec 31, 2025
  8. Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' immigration detention center in the EvergladesJun 24, 2025 – Sep 14, 2026
Show remaining 9 arcs
  1. Trump's push to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and SyriansJul 1, 2025 – Aug 20, 2026
  2. The fight over ICE agents' masks, body cameras and shock glovesOct 16, 2025 – Sep 1, 2026
  3. Gregory Bovino's exit from Chicago and Minneapolis and his retirementOct 28, 2025 – Sep 1, 2026
  4. Don Lemon's arrest and prosecution over an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota churchJan 19 – Sep 12, 2026
  5. The 2026 Homeland Security shutdown over Democrats' ICE demandsJan 25 – Apr 28, 2026
  6. Deaths in ICE custody during Trump's second termMar 16 – Sep 22, 2026
  7. Trump's search for an ICE director after Todd Lyons stepped downApr 17 – Sep 17, 2026
  8. The protests and investigations at New Jersey's Delaney Hall detention centerMay 30 – Aug 7, 2026
  9. The Justice Department's suits against in-state tuition for undocumented studentsJul 16 – Sep 10, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Sep 19– 252026Trump administration asks the Supreme Court to allow quick third-country deportations to continue57 articles · 45 independent sources
10 left, 12 center, 10 right
Aug 22– 252026Deportees who refused to exit a US flight in Liberia are sent to Equatorial Guinea8 articles · 7 independent sources
3 left, 1 center, 0 right
Aug 20– 212026More than 2,300 Mexicans sent to Guatemala and Honduras as Trump ramps up third-country deportations17 articles · 15 independent sources
1 left, 3 center, 0 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Mar 9 – 10, 2025Panama releases dozens of detained deportees from US into limbo20 articles · 15 independent sources
  2. May 20 – 22, 2025Trump administration South Sudan deportation attempt violated court order, judge says44 articles · 34 independent sources
  3. Jul 3 – 5, 2025Judge briefly blocks immigrants’ deportation to South Sudan, but legal path eventually cleared49 articles · 31 independent sources
    1. Jul 3, 2025Supreme Court clears way for deportation to South Sudan of several immigrants with no ties there
    2. Jul 5, 2025US completes deportation of 8 men to South Sudan after weeks of legal wrangling
  4. Jul 16, 2025US deports immigrants from Jamaica, Cuba and other countries to the African kingdom of Eswatini19 articles · 17 independent sources
  5. Aug 5, 2025Rwanda says it reaches a deal with U.S. to take in up to 250 migrants16 articles · 16 independent sources
  6. Aug 18 – 22, 2026First 20 U.S. Deportees Arrive in Liberia Under Third-Country Deal Expected to Include Venezuelans and Cubans44 articles · 24 independent sources
    1. Aug 18, 2026Liberia agrees to take 1,200 third-country deportees from the US
    2. Aug 19, 2026US sends 20 deportees to Liberia, part of 1,200 migrants the country will receive under new deal
    3. Aug 20, 2026First group of US deportees, out of an expected 1,200, arrive in Liberia
  7. Sep 19 – 25, 2026Trump administration asks the Supreme Court to allow quick third-country deportations to continue57 articles · 45 independent sources

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Feb 2025Jun 2025Sep 2025Jan 2026May 2026Sep 2026

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Feb 3, 202502113
Feb 17, 202523115
Feb 24, 202512111
Mar 3, 202526125
Mar 10, 20251203
Mar 17, 20251409
May 5, 20254128
May 19, 20251212665
May 26, 202547322
Jun 23, 202514017
Jun 30, 2025313447
Jul 14, 2025211123
Aug 4, 202524213
Aug 18, 202533412
Sep 1, 202503010
Oct 6, 20252104
Feb 16, 20261108
Feb 23, 202623122
Mar 30, 20260204
Apr 6, 20260214
Apr 13, 20262014
Jul 6, 202622015
Aug 17, 2026911663
Aug 24, 20262107
Sep 14, 202661210
Sep 21, 2026612843

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

31% left · 54% center · 15% right of 124 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 32 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. February 2025

    Feb 5Guatemala will accept migrants from other countries deported from the US14 articles · 10 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 1 right
  2. Feb 18– 21Facing pressure from Trump, Costa Rica and Honduras begin taking deportees16 articles · 10 independent sources
    2 left, 3 center, 1 right
  3. Feb 28Panama and Costa Rica turning into a ‘black hole' for migrants, deportees from US, observers warn11 articles · 6 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 1 right

  4. March 2025

    Mar 8Panama offers temporary reprieve for 112 migrants deported by US9 articles · 9 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 0 right
  5. Mar 9– 10Panama releases dozens of detained deportees from US into limbo20 articles · 15 independent sources
    2 left, 5 center, 1 right
  6. Mar 21Deportees from the US hop embassy to embassy in Panama in a desperate scramble to seek asylum9 articles · 8 independent sources
    1 left, 4 center, 0 right

  7. May 2025

    May 5– 6Rwanda says it's in 'early stages' of talks with U.S. to take in deported migrants10 articles · 10 independent sources
    4 left, 1 center, 2 right
  8. May 20– 22Trump administration South Sudan deportation attempt violated court order, judge says44 articles · 34 independent sources
    9 left, 7 center, 6 right
  9. May 21US officials must keep control of migrants sent to South Sudan in case removals were unlawful: judge10 articles · 4 independent sources
    0 left, 4 center, 0 right
  10. May 21Judge says Trump administration violated court order on third-country deportations5 articles · 4 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 0 right
  11. May 24A federal judge orders the Trump administration to return a Guatemalan deported to Mexico10 articles · 8 independent sources
    2 left, 2 center, 2 right
  12. May 27– 28Trump asks Supreme Court to halt judge’s order blocking deportations of criminal migrants to South Sudan16 articles · 15 independent sources
    3 left, 6 center, 3 right
  13. May 29Trump administration working to return Guatemalan man deported to Mexico7 articles · 7 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 1 right

  14. June 2025

    Jun 23– 24Supreme Court allows Trump to remove migrants to South Sudan and other turmoil-filled countries17 articles · 9 independent sources
    1 left, 4 center, 0 right

  15. July 2025

    Jul 3– 5Judge briefly blocks immigrants’ deportation to South Sudan, but legal path eventually cleared49 articles · 31 independent sources
    3 left, 13 center, 4 right
  16. Jul 16US deports immigrants from Jamaica, Cuba and other countries to the African kingdom of Eswatini19 articles · 17 independent sources
    1 left, 9 center, 1 right
  17. Jul 18Men Deported by US to Eswatini in Africa Will Be Held in Solitary Confinement for Undetermined Time7 articles · 7 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 0 right

  18. August 2025

    Aug 5Rwanda says it reaches a deal with U.S. to take in up to 250 migrants16 articles · 16 independent sources
    2 left, 4 center, 2 right
  19. Aug 21Uganda agrees to take deported migrants from US if they don’t have criminal records15 articles · 15 independent sources
    3 left, 3 center, 4 right

  20. September 2025

    Sep 6– 7South Sudan repatriates Mexican man deported from US11 articles · 11 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 0 right

  21. October 2025

    Oct 610 more deportees from the US arrive in the African nation of Eswatini5 articles · 4 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 0 right

  22. February 2026

    Feb 22US deported gay asylum-seeker to third country where homosexuality is illegal8 articles · 3 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 0 right
  23. Feb 25– 26Trump administration’s ‘third country’ deportation policy is unlawful, judge rules23 articles · 13 independent sources
    2 left, 3 center, 1 right

  24. April 2026

    Apr 5– 6Congo to receive third-country deportees from the US under new deal9 articles · 9 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 1 right
  25. Apr 17About 15 Latin American deportees from the US have arrived in Congo, lawyer says5 articles · 5 independent sources
    2 left, 0 center, 1 right

  26. July 2026

    Jul 9– 10Eswatini receives 11 people deported from the US as part of migration crackdown5 articles · 5 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 0 right
  27. Jul 9– 11Suspected Ebola patient placed in Equatorial Guinea hotel with deportees from the US, lawyers say10 articles · 10 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 0 right

  28. August 2026

    Aug 18– 19U.S. deporting Mexican migrants to Guatemala and Honduras, angering Mexico8 articles · 5 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 2 right
  29. Aug 18– 22First 20 U.S. Deportees Arrive in Liberia Under Third-Country Deal Expected to Include Venezuelans and Cubans44 articles · 24 independent sources
    7 left, 8 center, 4 right
  30. Aug 20– 21More than 2,300 Mexicans sent to Guatemala and Honduras as Trump ramps up third-country deportations17 articles · 15 independent sources
    1 left, 3 center, 0 right
  31. Aug 22– 25Deportees who refused to exit a US flight in Liberia are sent to Equatorial Guinea8 articles · 7 independent sources
    3 left, 1 center, 0 right

  32. September 2026

    Sep 19– 25Trump administration asks the Supreme Court to allow quick third-country deportations to continue57 articles · 45 independent sources
    10 left, 12 center, 10 right