Photo by Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday night that the United States has deported five men of various nationalities to the African country of Eswatini. This announcement advances the Trump administration's efforts to use third-party countries to detain immigrants arrested in the United States.
Department of Homeland Security Press Secretary Tricia McLaughlin shared this news through your account X:
“NEW: A safe third deportation flight or safe third country deportation flight has landed in Eswatini, southern Africa. This flight was carrying individuals so incredibly barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back. These depraved monsters had been terrorizing American communities, but thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, they are now out of the United States.
The Deportees
The Department of Homeland Security has not shared the names of any of the deported men. Secretary McLaughlin, in a series of separate posts, published arrest photos of the five men, the alleged nationality of each, and their alleged criminal records. These numbers will be mentioned now, but it is important to note that except for the posts in X Mclaughlin's, No substantial evidence has been published to justify these deportations:
“CITIZEN OF YEMEN: Convicted of second-degree murder. Convicted of assault and battery; convicted of resisting and obstructing an officer; sentenced to 17 days in prison. Convicted of cruelty to a dependent adult; convicted of assault with intent to cause great bodily harm, not amounting to homicide or strangulation; sentenced to 60 months in prison.
“CITIZEN OF CUBA: Convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated assault. Convicted of aggravated assault of a police officer, grand theft auto, aggravated escape, and reckless driving to elude authorities; sentenced to three years in prison. Confirmed member of the Latin Kings street gang.
“LAOS CITIZEN: Convicted of second-degree murder and burglary (forced entry); sentenced to 20 years in prison. Convicted of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of controlled substances. Charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of methamphetamine.
“CITIZEN OF JAMAICA: Convicted of murder; sentenced to 25 years in prison. Convicted of robbery; sentenced to 6 years in prison. Convicted of possession of a weapon; sentenced to 6 months in prison.
“CITIZEN OF VIETNAM: Convicted of rape of a minor; sentenced to 20 years in prison.”
Eswatini
Secretary McLaughlin reported that the five men arrived in Eswatini by plane, but did not elaborate on their detention. The Eswatini government also did not elaborate on its plans for deported immigrants.
Eswatini, formally Swaziland, It is a landlocked country located between South Africa and Mozambique. It is ruled by one of the world's last absolute monarchies, led by Ngenwama (King) Mswati III, who directly controls all powers of government and is constitutionally immune from legal prosecution.
The Eswatini government has been at the center of multiple controversies due to its undemocratic nature. Democratic groups such as SWALIMO have protested against the government, alleging that it has responded with political violence and killings of protesters.
Deportations to Tertiary Countries
Eswatini is the latest country to accept deportations from the United States. Other notable countries that have joined this effort include: Kosovo, Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Honduras.
This legal effort has generated controversy in leftist political circles, who warn of the numerous human rights violations that deportees could suffer. The lack of transparency evident throughout this process, particularly in the case of Eswatini, increases this anxiety.
El Salvador, and the notorious Center for Confinement Against Terrorism (CECOT), exemplifies these concerns: the CECOT has received various criticisms from human rights activists who are denouncing the conditions of detainees there. However, the Department of Homeland Security has not responded to these concerns.
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