Trump Administration Can Now Deport Immigrants to Third Countries, Sparking Human Rights Concerns

The Trump administration is now able to deport immigrants to 58 countries that are not their place of origin. This follows a Supreme Court ruling that overturned restrictions on such removals.

Human rights advocates are concerned that sending "third-country" nationals to these countries could expose them to abuse and violence. These individuals could be stranded in places where they have no ties and often cannot speak the language.

The White House has been lobbying at least 58 countries to accept these deportees. Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, Rwanda, and Kosovo have agreed to such flights to varying degrees. The State Department has approached or plans to approach numerous other countries to reach similar agreements.

Many of the potential nations are in Africa, including regimes with violence, political strife, and human rights abuses, such as Libya and South Sudan.

The Supreme Court's emergency ruling on Monday cleared the way for these removals. The court's conservative majority granted the administration's request to overturn a nationwide injunction. The court's liberal minority dissented, criticizing the ruling.

A Massachusetts federal judge accused the administration of violating the injunction when it notified a group of eight immigrants they would be deported to South Sudan. Those deportees remain at a U.S. base in Djibouti while a lawsuit over their removals plays out.

Countries that have agreed to take third-country deportees have received financial incentives.

Many of the nations being considered to accept U.S. flights were named in the Trump administration’s renewed travel ban. The administration has reportedly offered nations on the banned list relief if they accept deportees.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has supported sending deported immigrants to third countries as a form of deterrence.

Once sent to third countries, immigrants could face detention, housing in migrant shelters, offers of asylum, or trips back to their home countries.

Immigrant advocates warned that allowing such third-country removals would open these immigrants to abuse.