On July 15, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a rather dramatic move: the deportation of five individuals described as “barbaric criminals” to Eswatini, a small nation in Southern Africa. This action, carried out under the Trump administration’s controversial third-country deportation program, involved men hailing from a diverse array of nations—Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Vietnam, and Yemen. Allegations against these individuals are severe, encompassing heinous crimes such as child rape and murder. The DHS asserted that these “criminal illegal aliens” were so egregiously dangerous that even their home countries refused to accept them back.
The backdrop to this deportation stems from a recent Supreme Court ruling permitting the removal of illegal immigrants to countries with which they have no prior ties. Among the deported, the Cuban national was identified as a confirmed member of the Latin Kings gang, with a criminal history that includes first-degree murder and aggravated assault against a police officer. The Jamaican individual faced charges for murder and robbery, while the Laotian man had convictions for second-degree murder and DUI. The Vietnamese national was convicted of child rape, and the Yemeni man had a record including second-degree homicide.
In a social media post, the DHS celebrated these deportations as a significant step towards public safety, stating, “Under the leadership of [DHS Secretary Kristi Noem] and [President Donald] Trump, we are ensuring these convicted criminals are removed from our soil so they can never harm another American.”
Eswatini, previously known as Swaziland, is a landlocked country bordered by South Africa and Mozambique. It is notable for being Africa’s last absolute monarchy, ruled by King Mswati III since 1986. Attempts to reach Eswatini authorities for comment on this matter went unanswered by the time of publication.
Supreme Court Ruling
This latest wave of deportations follows similar actions taken towards South Sudan, which occurred after the Supreme Court’s July 3 decision that rejected a legal effort to halt such removals. Eight individuals, whose lawyers indicated were from countries including Burma, Cuba, and Mexico, were detained in a U.S. military facility in Djibouti while their cases were pending. The DHS characterized the Supreme Court’s ruling as a triumph for law enforcement and public safety, emphasizing that delays caused by “activist judges” endangered American communities. They noted, “These eight barbaric criminal illegal aliens are so heinous that even their own countries will not accept them.”
Temporary Protection Status
In a related context, El Salvador has also recently agreed to accept illegal immigrants from the U.S. with no prior connections to the country. White House border czar Tom Homan stated on July 11 that negotiations with other nations are ongoing to facilitate the deportation of individuals deemed public safety threats. “If there is a significant public threat or national security threat, they’re not walking the streets of this country,” he asserted. This comes at a time when the Trump administration has ended deportation protections for immigrants from various Central American countries, some of which had been in place for decades, such as the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) granted to Nicaraguans following a natural disaster in 1999.
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