In a landmark move following a Supreme Court ruling, the US Department of Homeland Security has confirmed the deportation of violent criminals to Eswatini, a southern African country. The flight, which carried migrants from various countries, was part of an ongoing effort to expand the US government’s aggressive stance on deportations.
In June, the US Supreme Court lifted restrictions on deporting migrants to third countries, permitting the Trump administration to resume sending immigrants to nations that are not their own without offering them a chance to contest their deportation. This decision has been heralded as a victory for the administration’s strict immigration policies.
“A safe third country deportation flight to Eswatini in Southern Africa has landed. This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back,” U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin remarked on social media.
McLaughlin also identified five deportees from countries including Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba, and Yemen. These individuals had been convicted of serious crimes such as child rape and murder, raising concerns among human rights groups over the due process of these removals.
The shift in policy comes after a memo from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), dated July 9, outlined changes to deportation procedures. It revealed that ICE officials could deport individuals to a third country with as little as six hours’ notice, bypassing the usual 24-hour waiting period. The memo stated that migrants could be sent to countries that have pledged not to persecute or torture them.
The new guidelines suggest that the Trump administration is prepared to move quickly and efficiently to send migrants to third countries, a policy that has drawn criticism from human rights advocates. The move also raises questions about the rights of migrants to seek legal counsel and the adequacy of the countries receiving these deportees.
As the US pushes forward with its controversial deportation policies, the debate over due process, human rights, and immigration law remains as contentious as ever.
