US expands third-country deportations and activates 'alien terrorist' court for first time — what it means for non-citizens

The Trump administration is pushing the boundaries of immigration enforcement on two fronts this month: striking new deals to deport non-citizens to third countries, and for the first time in history deploying a secretive court set up to remove people labelled as “alien terrorists.”

For internationals living in the Netherlands — many of whom hold residence permits in a country that itself has a complex immigration system — these developments serve as a stark reminder of how quickly legal status can change, even for lawful permanent residents.

Third-country deportations to Guyana

On September 5, Guyana confirmed that six Cuban and Afghan nationals had arrived in the South American nation after being deported from the United States, reported Al Jazeera. The removals are part of a broader Trump administration push to expand so-called “third-country deportations” — sending people to nations they have no ties to, often without speaking the language.

Guyana’s Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud said the one-year deal was negotiated over months and does not constitute permanent resettlement. None of the six had criminal backgrounds, he added. Human rights group Amnesty International estimates that more than 30 countries have entered such agreements since Trump returned to office, including 15 in the Americas.

For expats watching from the Netherlands, the key takeaway: your country of origin matters. Deportees from Cuba and Afghanistan were sent to a nation they never lived in. The same principle could apply to anyone whose home country refuses to take them back — a possibility that Dutch immigration lawyers often flag for clients with rejected asylum applications.

First use of the Alien Terrorist Removal Court

A separate case highlights even more extreme powers. On September 12, the US Department of Justice announced the deportation of Nazira Haji Zada, a 47-year-old lawful permanent resident (green card holder) living in Fort Worth, Texas, to Afghanistan — the first time the Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC) has ever been used since its creation in 1996, Al Jazeera reported.

Haji Zada was never charged with a crime. The government accused her of helping conceal an ISIL-inspired plot for a mass shooting in Oklahoma on election day 2024; her son and son-in-law pleaded guilty to related charges. The ATRC allows the government to submit classified evidence, with only an unclassified summary provided to the accused. Haji Zada waived her rights to challenge detention and was deported.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche filed the papers in July. The case shows that even a green card holder — the US equivalent of a permanent residency permit — can be removed without a criminal conviction, using a court designed for national security.

Cuba: No negotiations amid record embargo losses

Meanwhile, Cuba is feeling the squeeze from Washington’s economic pressure. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said on September 7 that the two countries are not negotiating and have no agenda for future talks, Al Jazeera reported. He presented the latest embargo damage estimate: $8 billion lost between March 2025 and February 2026 — the highest figure ever recorded, seven percent more than the previous period.

Rodríguez described the policy as “economic asphyxiation,” pointing to months of daily electricity outages of two to three hours or less. The figure does not include new sanctions on energy and secondary sanctions imposed this year.

For expats in the Netherlands, the Cuba case illustrates how geopolitical tensions can directly affect the lives of ordinary people — and why staying informed about US foreign policy is crucial, because it often reshapes migration patterns and asylum claims worldwide.

What this means for you

Regardless of where you hold residence, these US developments underscore a few hard truths:

• Legal status is never permanent. Even a green card holder can be removed without a criminal conviction if the government labels you a security threat.
• Third-country deportations can send you anywhere. If your home country won’t take you, you may end up in a place you have no connection to.
• Economic pressure on countries like Cuba creates push factors. More people may seek refuge elsewhere, including in Europe.

For anyone living in the Netherlands on a residence permit or waiting for an asylum decision, it pays to stay aware of global immigration trends — because the rules that apply in one country often ripple across borders.