US deports 131 Central Asian migrants to Uzbekistan

Some 131 Central Asian migrants who were in the U.S. illegally are being deported to Uzbekistan as part of a deal between the two countries, the Department of Homeland Security said on Wednesday.

The people deported are from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, the department said. They were flown out of the U.S. on Wednesday, it added.

"We look forward to continuing to work together with Uzbekistan on efforts to enhance our mutual security and uphold the rule of law," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.

President Donald Trump has pledged to deport millions of immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally as part of a far-reaching crackdown. His administration has established new routes to deport migrants to third countries in the Western Hemisphere and recently removed an Iraqi man to Rwanda.

Democrats and migrant advocates have said Trump's aggressive deportation push has bypassed due process and split families, including a case of a deported Cuban mother who said she was told she could not bring her breastfeeding 1-year-old daughter with her.

The Republican president's initial deportations remain lower than last year under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, when high levels of illegal immigration led to more quick removals.

The White House and Uzbekistan's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.