A group of 19 West African nationals deported by the U.S. under a controversial Trump administration program has disappeared after being moved from a Ghanaian hotel to an undisclosed location.
According to The Associated Press, Ana Dionne-Lanier, who serves as counsel for one of the deportees, told the outlet on Thursday that the group landed in Ghana on Nov. 5 and was initially housed in a hotel upon arrival.
All 19 individuals, she said, are protected from deportation to their home countries because of credible fears they would face torture, persecution, or other inhumane treatment.
Now, she says, no one can find them.
“We don’t know the location of any of them,” Dionne-Lanier said, noting that both she and her client’s family have been unable to make contact since early this week.
According to her account, a first group of deportees was taken by bus to an undisclosed border location sometime between last weekend and Monday. A second group — which included her client — was moved from the hotel “under heavy armed guard” around Wednesday, she said. After that, all communication ceased.
The disappearance comes as the Trump administration ramps up a largely secretive effort to deport migrants to third countries in Africa under agreements struck with at least five nations, including Eswatini, Rwanda, and South Sudan. Dozens of deportees have been sent to the continent since July.
Human rights advocates have sharply criticized the program, arguing that it exposes vulnerable migrants to danger and undermines international protections for asylum seekers. Critics also question whether migrants are being properly screened before removal, especially those who cannot legally be returned to their home countries.
The administration has defended the effort as part of a broader strategy to deter illegal immigration and expel those who have already entered the U.S., including migrants accused of crimes. Facing court rulings that bar deportation to certain home countries, the U.S. has increasingly turned to third-country transfers as a workaround.
In Ghana, the newly arrived deportees have sparked a political and legal clash. Last month, the rights group Democracy Hub sued the Ghanaian government, arguing that its quiet agreement with Washington is unconstitutional because Parliament never approved it. The lawsuit also warns that the deal could violate international conventions that forbid sending people to nations where they may be persecuted.
The U.S. has maintained that its role ends the moment deportees leave American jurisdiction. In a September court filing, the Department of Justice argued it has “no power to control” how another country treats deportees, saying only that Ghana assured U.S. officials it would not return the individuals to their home countries.
