US Forced Deportation to a Third Country Then Sent Them Home

The Trump Administration's Deportation Policy and Its Controversies

The Trump administration has taken a firm stance on deporting individuals who have committed serious crimes in the United States. According to recent reports, some of these individuals are being sent to third countries, even when their home countries refuse to accept them. However, a review of recent cases reveals that at least five men facing deportation were instead sent back to their native countries within weeks.

President Donald Trump has consistently aimed to deport millions of undocumented immigrants from the U.S. His administration has also increased efforts to send convicted criminals to third countries, including South Sudan and Eswatini. These nations, located in sub-Saharan Africa, have become destinations for individuals who have served their sentences in the U.S. before being deported. While some of these individuals had been released years earlier, others were sent directly after serving their sentences.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has claimed that third-country deportations are necessary for those considered "uniquely barbaric" by their own countries. However, critics argue that it is unclear whether the U.S. made any genuine attempts to return these individuals to their home countries. They also question the necessity and cruelty of sending people to unfamiliar places.

According to investigations, at least five men who were threatened with deportation to Libya were later sent to their home countries within weeks. This includes two men from Vietnam, two from Laos, and one from Mexico. These deportations have not been widely reported before. DHS did not comment on the removals, and it remains unclear whether the men’s home countries initially refused to take them or why the U.S. attempted to send them to Libya in the first place.

A spokesperson for DHS, Tricia McLaughlin, stated that the home countries of those deported to third countries were willing to accept them. However, she did not provide details about any previous attempts to return the five men to their home countries before they were threatened with deportation to Libya. McLaughlin also referenced El Salvador’s maximum-security prison and a detention center in Florida, suggesting that those who break U.S. laws could end up in such facilities or be sent to third countries.

A Growing Trend in Third-Country Deportations

Since Trump took office, the number of third-country deportations has increased significantly. While the exact number of deportations to third countries is not publicly available, thousands have been sent to Mexico, and hundreds to other nations. The eight men sent to South Sudan included individuals from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, South Sudan, and Vietnam. The man from South Sudan was reportedly under a deportation order to Sudan, according to court documents. The five men sent to Eswatini came from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Vietnam, and Yemen.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson described the individuals deported to South Sudan and Eswatini as “the worst of the worst,” including those convicted of child sex abuse and murder. She claimed that American communities are safer without these individuals. However, several governments, including those of Laos, Vietnam, and Mexico, have not commented on the deportations.

The Trump administration acknowledged in a court filing that a man from Myanmar had valid travel documents to return to his home country but was still deported to South Sudan. He was convicted of sexual assault involving a victim who was unable to resist. Meanwhile, Eswatini has stated that it is holding the five migrants sent there in isolated prison units as part of an agreement with the U.S.

Legal Challenges and Public Concerns

The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to deport migrants to third countries without giving them a chance to prove they might face harm. However, the legality of these removals is still being challenged in a federal lawsuit in Boston. If the case reaches the Supreme Court again, it could further shape immigration policy.

Critics argue that the policy is designed to instill fear among migrants and encourage them to leave the U.S. voluntarily rather than be sent to distant countries they have no connection to. Michelle Mittelstadt of the Migration Policy Institute said this sends a message that individuals may end up in unpredictable and undesirable situations.

Internal guidance from U.S. immigration enforcement issued in July stated that migrants could be deported to countries without diplomatic assurances of their safety in as little as six hours. This has raised concerns about the fairness and safety of the process.

Broader Implications and International Reactions

While the administration has highlighted deportations to African countries, it has also sent asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Russia, and others to Panama and Costa Rica. In March, over 200 Venezuelans accused of gang membership were sent to El Salvador, where they were held in a high-security prison without access to attorneys until a prisoner swap last month.

More than 5,700 non-Mexican migrants have been deported to Mexico since Trump took office, continuing a policy initiated under former President Joe Biden. The fact that one Mexican man was deported to South Sudan and another was threatened with deportation to Libya suggests that the administration may not have fully explored options to send them back to their home countries.

Trina Realmuto of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance noted that Mexico historically accepts its citizens back. She argued that the administration did not make sufficient efforts to repatriate these individuals.

Personal Stories and Ongoing Struggles

Jesus Munoz Gutierrez, a Mexican national deported to South Sudan, had served a sentence in the U.S. for second-degree murder. After his release, he was taken into federal immigration custody. His sister, Guadalupe Gutierrez, expressed confusion over why he was sent to South Sudan, where he is currently in custody. She mentioned that Mexico is trying to bring him home, stating, “Mexico never rejected my brother.”

For a Lao man who was almost deported to Libya, the experience was traumatic. He recalled officials telling him to sign a deportation order to Libya, which he refused. He asked why the U.S. was using them as pawns. His attorney confirmed that he had served a prison sentence for a felony, though the specific charge remains unclear.

This man, who came to the U.S. as a refugee in the early 1980s, now faces the challenge of adapting to life in Laos. He said he is learning the language and taking things day by day, hoping for a better future.