Immigration Advocates Slam Expansion of Third-Country Deportations: 'This Administration's Goal Is to Instill Fear'

More than 13,000 migrants who were legally living in the United States while awaiting asylum decisions have been ordered deported to third countries where many have no ties, according to advocacy groups, raising concerns about due process and the broader impact of the policy on immigrant communities.

Advocates consulted by ABC News say the practice, paired with halted or delayed asylum proceedings and restrictions on work authorization, has left thousands in legal and economic limbo.

Cassandra Charles, a senior staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center, told the outlet that the approach is intentional. "This administration's goal is to instill fear into people. That's the primary thing," she said.

The orders stem from a policy shift that allows immigration authorities to terminate asylum cases and redirect migrants to so-called "safe third countries." A ruling by the Justice Department's Board of Immigration Appeals in October enabled such removals, even if individuals had never lived in or traveled to those countries.

Sarah Mehta of the American Civil Liberties Union told ABC News that the government is not disputing asylum claims on their merits. "They're just saying, 'We're kicking this case completely out of court, and we're going to send that person to another country,'" she said.

Despite the scale of the orders, relatively few deportations have been carried out. Data from advocacy tracker Third Country Deportation Watch suggests fewer than 100 people have actually been sent to third countries, highlighting logistical and diplomatic constraints. Agreements with countries such as Honduras limit intake to small numbers, while officials in Uganda have said no deportees have arrived.

At the same time, the administration has pursued additional agreements to expand deportation capacity. Costa Rica agreed last week to accept up to 25 deportees per week, joining countries including Paraguay, Ecuador, and Belize. Separate reporting has described past efforts to secure deals through financial and diplomatic pressure, including an arrangement with Cameroon using aid as leverage.

Policy shifts have also affected asylum processing more broadly. After a near-total halt on applications earlier this year, the administration has resumed processing for some nationalities while maintaining restrictions for individuals from over 39 countries subject to travel bans.

Officials have defended the measures as necessary to address a backlog of roughly 2 million asylum cases. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the agreements are "lawful bilateral arrangements" that allow migrants to seek protection in partner countries.