The United States has deported eight individuals—convicted of crimes such as murder, robbery, and sexual assault—to South Sudan, despite only one being a South Sudanese national. The remaining deportees hail from Myanmar, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and Mexico, whose home countries reportedly refused to accept them.
The group was initially diverted to Djibouti following a legal challenge that temporarily halted their removal. However, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturned a lower court’s decision that would have granted the deportees the right to speak with an asylum officer before being sent to a third country.
This case highlights the Trump administration’s growing use of third-country deportations, with past removals to El Salvador and Costa Rica, and potential future arrangements with Rwanda, Benin, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, and Moldova. The deportation to South Sudan, a country grappling with insecurity and near-civil war conditions, has raised questions about the fate of the individuals involved. A civil society leader in Juba, Edmund Yakani, confirmed the men were being held in a civilian facility under police and national security watch, appearing to be in good condition, though their legal status remains unclear.
The controversial deportation has drawn criticism from legal and human rights advocates. It followed a protracted legal back-and-forth, culminating in the Supreme Court’s endorsement of the administration’s position, which stripped Judge Brian Murphy of his authority to block the removals. Homeland Security officials hailed the decision as a triumph over “activist judges,” while Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier revoked all U.S. visas for South Sudanese nationals in retaliation for the country’s previous refusals to accept deportees.