The U.S. Department of State has played a key role in the Trump administration's policy of deporting undocumented migrants to third countries, according to a long investigation by The Washington Post, published on September 21. While the Department of Homeland Security has been the public face of the administration's mass deportation efforts, the State Department has operated behind the scenes, managing negotiations with foreign nations to facilitate these deportations. This work is carried out by a unit within the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, known as the "re-migration bureau," led by Christian Ehrhardt, a relatively unknown diplomat who has served as a White House envoy during international trips. The unit is responsible for securing agreements with other countries to accept deportees. The Washington Post highlights that the creation of the re-migration bureau represents a significant and controversial shift in U.S. foreign policy. Traditionally, the United States has supported refugee resettlement programs, but under the Trump administration, the focus has shifted toward deporting individuals to third countries rather than providing asylum or resettlement. The term "re-migration" has drawn criticism, particularly from far-right groups in Europe, who use it to advocate for the expulsion of immigrants. According to the newspaper, the Trump administration has deported more than 25,000 people to at least 28 third countries, many of whom are not citizens of the countries they were sent to and have no ties to them. Among the first agreements involved flights to Costa Rica carrying migrants from China, Russia, Iran, and Afghanistan, as well as flights to Eswatini, a small African kingdom, with migrants from Vietnam, Laos, Cuba, and Jamaica. Most of the deportees were sent to Mexico under an informal agreement, with the rest being deported to countries in Africa and Latin America. The terms of these agreements vary by country and often come with financial incentives from the U.S. government. Some countries receive promises of relaxed visa restrictions or reduced customs duties, while others are given funding for infrastructure projects. To convince foreign governments to accept these deportees, the Trump administration allocated at least $410 million, with $81 million directly paid to the signatory countries. The re-migration bureau also set up a system of subsidies for international organizations, including $179 million for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and $124 million for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to support the deportation program. As an example, the agreement with Costa Rica involves the U.S. not paying the country directly but instead transferring $22.6 million to the IOM and $10 million to the UNHCR. A former official from the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, who left the State Department due to disagreements with the policy, stated that "this administration subordinates all funding to the support of agreements with third countries." He added that for organizations like the IOM and the UNHCR, "the only way to continue to function is to make a pact with the devil," highlighting the ethical dilemma faced by these international bodies.