The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday confirmed that a deportation flight carrying migrants landed in Eswatini, a nation in Southern Africa. This development marks one of the initial cases of the U.S. enforcing third-country deportations, a controversial measure now revived following a recent Supreme Court ruling.
The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, made in late June, gave the green light for the federal government to resume sending migrants to countries that are not their own—even without first allowing those individuals to present arguments regarding the dangers they might face upon removal.
As reported by Reuters, this ruling is a significant win for policies introduced during the administration of former President Donald Trump, aimed at expediting deportations and limiting asylum requests.
“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,” said Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for DHS, via a post on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) on Tuesday evening.
McLaughlin further disclosed that the flight included deportees from countries such as Cuba, Jamaica, Yemen, Vietnam, and Laos. The DHS reported that the individuals on board had been convicted of violent crimes, including child rape and homicide. Due to the severity of these crimes, their countries of origin reportedly declined to receive them.
Earlier this month, the Trump-aligned administration released updated policy guidelines empowering U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to carry out deportations to third countries, even with minimal notification.
Typically, ICE will notify a migrant 24 hours ahead of removal. However, in urgent scenarios, the timeframe can be reduced to just six hours, provided the deportee is given access to legal counsel. A memo dated July 9 from ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons, clarified that deportations under this policy can be executed to any country willing to assure that the deportee won’t face torture or persecution—streamlining the process by avoiding prolonged legal procedures.
This shift in deportation strategy has drawn criticism from various human rights organizations. Many have raised concerns that relocating migrants to unfamiliar third countries can violate their legal rights and place them at considerable risk. Nonetheless, the Trump camp has stood firm, arguing that the policy is essential for bolstering national security and discouraging illegal migration.
The recent flight to Eswatini signals a clear intensification of efforts to implement third-country deportations, now backed by the Supreme Court. Analysts anticipate that additional flights may soon follow, potentially extending these removals to other continents in the coming weeks.
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