Published October 14, 2026
The Caribbean nation of Jamaica has become the first country to receive forced deportations from the United States as part of a series of international agreements expanding under President Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, 22 deportees from the United States arrived at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica.
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They were then placed on a bus and taken to an undisclosed location, according to media reports.
Such deportations, which often involve noncitizens with no connection to the destination, have faced widespread condemnation from human rights groups and advocates who question their legality.
But Jamaica is among a growing number of countries accepting third-country deportees as part of President Trump’s efforts to carry out the largest mass deportation campaign in U.S. history.
At least 35 countries have third-country deportation agreements with the United States, according to Third Country Deportation Watch, an advocacy project in partnership with international refugee organizations and Human Rights First.
The Washington Post reported last month that the Trump administration had allocated about $410 million to support these efforts.
In June, Jamaica signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding to accommodate third-country deportations. Under the plan, Jamaica would transport deportees to their home countries or other destinations upon arrival.
The country’s government also pledged not to accept deportees with criminal records.
Jamaica’s Ministry of National Security and Peace and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade said in a joint statement: “The Government reiterates that this is a transit arrangement designed to facilitate the return of third-country nationals to their country of origin or other host country.”
It added that care for the deportees would be supported by the United Nations agency, the International Organization for Migration.
“There is no funding from the Jamaican government for this arrangement,” the joint statement added.
However, Jamaican opposition leaders spoke out against the deportations, saying the deal posed a threat to the island’s security. They also questioned why the agreement was not discussed publicly.
Opposition spokesman on national security Fitz Jackson said: “Jamaicans are being asked to trust confidential documents that concern their security, their communities and public services.”
In response to Mr Jackson’s statement, Foreign Secretary Kamina Johnson-Smith insisted that all questions about the deportation deal had been “answered”. He also suggested that the United States had not agreed to make the details of the agreement public.
“As explained before, some countries agree to accept criminals, but we do not,” she wrote on social media.
“Although some countries have published agreements, our partners have not agreed to publish this agreement.”
Legal challenges to third-country deportations are underway in the United States, with advocates arguing that deportees are being removed from the country without due process, their constitutional right to a fair hearing.
Critics also argue that third-country deportation can send migrants to countries where they may face danger.
Some host countries, such as South Sudan, are in ongoing conflict or face accusations of serious human rights abuses.
Opponents even argue that deportation to third countries is being used as a backdoor means to circumvent court protection orders.
Such an order could prohibit the U.S. government from returning certain immigrants to their home countries for fear of violence or persecution.
But critics say the Trump administration avoids violating such protection orders by sending migrants to third countries, which in some cases return deportees to the country identified in the U.S. protection order.
In a February report by Democrats to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, one official said anonymously that the purpose of deportations to such remote locations was to incite fear.
“The point is that the regime can threaten people with literally being dropped into the middle of nowhere,” the official said. “The important thing is to scare people.”
