WASHINGTON (AP) — Eight men deported from the United States in May and held for weeks at a U.S. military base in Djibouti have now been transferred to war-torn South Sudan — the Trump administration’s controversial destination of choice. The transfer was completed Friday, despite ongoing legal challenges and concerns about safety in a nation the U.S. State Department warns travelers to avoid due to “crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict.”
The deportees — originally from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam, and South Sudan — were all convicted of violent crimes in the U.S., according to officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Their removal had been delayed while a court battle played out, reaching as high as the Supreme Court.
“This was a win for the rule of law and the safety and security of the American people,” said Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin on Saturday, confirming the men’s arrival in South Sudan — a country still reeling from years of civil war and instability.
Weeks in Legal Limbo
The eight men were initially placed on a deportation flight in May, but the journey was diverted mid-route after a federal judge ruled the Trump administration had violated an earlier order requiring the detainees be given a chance to challenge their removal.
Instead of South Sudan, the flight landed at Camp Lemonnier, a U.S. naval base in Djibouti. There, the men were held in a makeshift facility fashioned out of shipping containers while the courts considered their fate.
Last month, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority sided with the Trump administration, ruling that immigration officials could swiftly deport people to third-party countries — even those not their countries of origin — without affording them the opportunity to contest the move. This decision overturned a lower court order that had temporarily blocked such deportations out of concern for detainee safety.
Last-Minute Appeals Fail
On July 4, a flurry of emergency hearings temporarily paused the deportation as one judge reviewed a final appeal from the men’s attorneys. Ultimately, the judge determined that his hands were tied, pointing to a Boston-based federal judge as the one with authority over the case. By Friday evening, that judge had issued a short ruling acknowledging that the Supreme Court’s decision had stripped him of the power to intervene.
With all legal obstacles removed, the Trump administration proceeded with the deportation, completing what it views as a major victory in its hardline immigration enforcement efforts.
Uncertain Future in a Dangerous Land
ICE confirmed the men were under final orders of removal and that agreements with South Sudan allowed the transfer despite none of the men — aside from one — being nationals of the country.
The move raises serious human rights concerns, with critics warning the deportees may face detention, mistreatment, or even torture in a country still grappling with political chaos and widespread violence. Human rights advocates have condemned the action as punitive and dangerous, arguing that it bypasses basic standards of due process and international norms regarding the treatment of non-citizens.
Despite the controversy, the Trump administration insists the deportations were lawful and necessary, and signals that similar removals to third-party nations could continue in future cases.
