The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed that it deported eight migrants to South Sudan. The US had held them at a military base in Djibouti for over a month. The migrants lost their legal battle to stop the transfer to the politically unstable country.
The deportation occurred on Friday, the US Independence Day holiday. US Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin announced the move.
In her statement, McLaughlin said the action represented a “win for the rule of law, safety and security of the American people.”
Officials at Juba airport in South Sudan reported that an aircraft carrying the deported individuals arrived on Saturday morning. One airport worker, speaking anonymously, confirmed that the flight landed at about 6 a.m. Additionally, an immigration official confirmed the migrants’ arrival but referred further questions to South Sudan’s National Security Service.
Before the deportation, a government source in South Sudan said US officials waited at the airport for the migrants’ arrival.
Context and ongoing concerns
This case forms part of wider legal disputes over the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce immigration. Specifically, it involves deportations to third countries. Migrants have expressed concerns about their safety in these locations. Consequently, courts faced several challenges, including two cases that reached the Supreme Court.
South Sudan remains unstable, even for local residents. Therefore, the US State Department advises against travel there due to violent crime and armed conflict. Furthermore, the United Nations warned that ongoing political instability could reignite the civil war that ended in 2018.
The eight deportees, whose lawyers say come from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Sudan and Vietnam, argued that sending them to South Sudan violated the US Constitution. They claimed the deportation amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.
The US held the migrants in Djibouti after a Boston federal judge blocked their deportation in May, citing concerns about due process. However, the Supreme Court later overturned that decision and allowed the deportation to proceed.
Although Friday was a holiday, courts reviewed emergency requests from the migrants’ lawyers that day. The lawyers asked the courts to stop the deportation. However, US District Judge Brian Murphy ruled that the Supreme Court’s order required him to deny their request.
At present, no one knows the exact location of the migrants in South Sudan.
