Trump Expands Deportations to Third Countries, Sending Cubans and Afghans to Africa

The Trump administration has expanded its use of third-country deportations, sending immigrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Iran, Nepal and Turkey to African countries, according to documents obtained by NBC News.

The documents show that Immigration and Customs Enforcement used three flights over 10 days to transfer more than 100 people to Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Liberia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. Some passengers were citizens of African countries, but none of the deportees went to a country where they originated.

CBS News reported that some people on the flights had criminal records in addition to immigration violations. Many others, however, had no criminal record beyond being in the United States without legal status.

The United States has reached agreements with more than 30 countries to receive deportees from third countries. The list includes Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador and Paraguay. Since returning to the White House in January last year, Trump has pursued such arrangements as part of his effort to increase deportations, one of his electoral promises.