AP reporting says more than 13,000 asylum seekers have faced third-country deportation orders, and the first group of 12 deportees has arrived in Uganda.
More than 13,000 asylum seekers have been ordered to countries they have little or no connection to, according to Associated Press reporting that highlights the expanding use of third-country deportations in the U.S. immigration system.
The AP reported on April 2 that many of the people affected were living legally in the United States while their asylum cases were pending. The cases have left some immigrants in legal limbo, unsure where they can seek protection or how they can challenge being sent to a country they never lived in.
A separate AP report the same day confirmed a new enforcement step: the first group of 12 deportees arrived in Uganda, lawyers said. That adds a concrete example to a policy that has largely played out through orders and court filings rather than public removals.
The Department of Homeland Security has defended third-country removals as lawful bilateral arrangements that allow asylum seekers to pursue protection in partner countries. Human-rights groups and lawyers argue the process can undermine due process and leave people without meaningful protection.
The United Nations refugee agency has also said third-country returns need strong safeguards, including a full and fair review and access to refugee-law protections.
The latest reporting shows both sides of the policy debate: immigration authorities are continuing to use third-country transfers, while advocates warn the system is leaving thousands of asylum seekers in uncertainty.
Revision note
Updated with Uganda arrivals and expanded third-country enforcement context.