Third-Country Deportations: What the Uganda and Congo Deals Mean for Immigrants

What Are Third-Country Deportations?

The U.S. government has begun deporting immigrants to countries they have no connection to. On April 2, 2026, a private charter flight carrying 12 deportees landed at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda. The people on that flight were not Ugandan citizens. They were individuals of African origin who had been living in the United States and were deported under a new agreement between the U.S. and Uganda.

This practice, known as "third-country deportation" or "safe third country" removal, represents a dramatic shift in how the federal government handles deportation. Traditionally, when someone is ordered removed from the United States, they are returned to their country of citizenship or nationality. Under these new agreements, immigrants can be sent to countries where they have never lived, have no family, and may not even speak the local language.

If you are in removal proceedings or worried about deportation, this development has direct implications for your case. Here is what you need to know.

How Did This Start?

The legal foundation for these deportations comes from bilateral agreements the U.S. has signed with multiple countries. In July 2025, the United States and Uganda signed an "Agreement for Cooperation in the Examination of Protection Requests." Under this agreement, Uganda agreed to accept deportees from the U.S. who are nationals of other countries in Africa.

The first flight under this agreement arrived in Uganda on April 2, 2026. According to reports from the Uganda Law Society and international media, 12 deportees of African origin were on that flight. They were not Ugandan nationals.

Since then, the program has expanded rapidly. On April 5, 2026, the Democratic Republic of Congo announced it had entered a similar agreement with the Trump administration. The DRC's communications ministry stated the arrangement is "temporary," though no limit on the number of deportees was disclosed. Reports indicate that the U.S. will cover the costs of these transfers.

Rwanda had already agreed to accept up to 250 migrants under a separate deal announced in August 2025, with the U.S. paying $7.5 million upfront. Other countries that have reportedly signed agreements or accepted deportees include Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, and South Sudan.

The Scale of the Program

As of early April 2026, more than 13,000 migrants in the United States have been ordered deported to safe third countries, according to published reports. These individuals span multiple nationalities and immigration situations. The program is expected to grow further as more countries sign agreements with the U.S.

This expansion comes alongside record-level ICE funding. On April 13, 2026, NPR reported that Congressional Republicans gave ICE a $75 billion funding increase through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed via budget reconciliation. This is on top of ICE's usual annual budget of roughly $10 billion, and the funding comes with very few specific oversight requirements.

Legal Challenges and Concerns

These deportations face significant legal opposition. The Uganda Law Society and the East Africa Law Society have filed legal challenges in Ugandan courts, describing the deportation process as "undignified, harrowing and dehumanising."

Human rights organizations and legal experts have raised several serious concerns about the program:

• Due process: There are questions about whether individuals subject to third-country deportation receive adequate notice and an opportunity to challenge their removal to a specific country they have no ties to
• Non-refoulement protections: International law prohibits sending someone to a country where they face torture or persecution. Deporting a person to a country where they are a stranger and may lack legal protections raises real concerns under these principles
• Conditions in receiving countries: Some of the countries accepting deportees have their own humanitarian challenges. Kinshasa, the DRC capital, already faces severe infrastructure challenges in serving its more than 17 million residents
• Diplomatic leverage: Reports indicate that some of these agreements are connected to broader diplomatic negotiations, such as the peace talks between the DRC and Rwanda and U.S. access to Congolese critical minerals

In the United States, immigration advocacy organizations and members of Congress have called for investigations into the legal basis for these transfers and the treatment of individuals being sent to countries where they are not citizens.

Who Is Most at Risk?

Based on the information available about the program so far, the individuals most likely to be affected include:

• People with final orders of removal: If you have received a final deportation order and have exhausted your appeals, you may be at higher risk of being included in this program
• Individuals from African countries: The current agreements primarily involve African nations, and the first deportees were of African origin. However, reports also mention agreements with Honduras and Ecuador, which suggests the program could eventually extend to other regions
• People in ICE detention: Those already in ICE custody may have less ability to challenge a third-country designation before removal occurs
• Individuals without active legal representation: People navigating the system without an attorney are at a significant disadvantage in identifying and asserting their rights against removal to a third country

What This Means for Immigrants in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has seen a sharp increase in immigration enforcement. As of April 1, 2026, more than 7,000 ICE arrests have occurred in the state since the start of the current administration. Courthouse arrests have doubled, with 614 immigration arrests at or near Massachusetts courthouses in 2025 alone.

The Massachusetts House recently passed legislation to ban warrantless civil immigration arrests in courthouses and to bar local law enforcement from asking about immigration status. The state has also expanded its legal defense funding through the Access to Counsel Initiative, which now has 24 full-time immigration attorneys across the state.

Despite these state-level protections, federal deportation policy operates independently of state law. If you are detained by ICE in Massachusetts and have a final order of removal, the federal government's ability to deport you to a third country is governed by federal authority and the bilateral agreements described above.

How to Protect Yourself

If You Are Currently in Removal Proceedings

Continue attending all court hearings and immigration appointments. Failure to appear will result in an in absentia removal order, which makes you immediately deportable with very limited options. Work with your attorney to identify every possible form of relief available to you, whether that is asylum, cancellation of removal, adjustment of status, or another avenue.

If You Have a Final Order of Removal

Seek legal counsel immediately. An attorney can evaluate whether you have grounds to reopen your case, file a motion to reconsider, or pursue other legal remedies. Time is critical. Once ICE has you in custody with a final order, the window to challenge your removal becomes very narrow.

If You Do Not Have Legal Status but Are Not in Proceedings

Consult with an immigration attorney to understand your options. You may be eligible for protections you are not aware of, such as VAWA, U-visa, T-visa, SIJS, TPS, asylum, or other forms of relief. Knowing your options before you encounter ICE is far better than trying to figure them out after an arrest.

Know Your Rights During an ICE Encounter

You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer questions about your immigration status, where you were born, or how you entered the country. You have the right to refuse to sign any documents without first speaking to an attorney. If ICE comes to your door, you do not have to open it unless they have a warrant signed by a judge (a judicial warrant, not an administrative ICE warrant). Ask for the warrant to be slid under the door so you can verify it.

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