The United States has deported five individuals labeled as “criminal illegal aliens” to the southern African kingdom of Eswatini, as part of President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration crackdown. The deportees, originating from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba, and Yemen, were convicted of serious crimes, including child rape and murder, according to a statement by US Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
“This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back,” McLaughlin said in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing the administration’s determination to remove convicted criminals from American soil. She described the deportees as “depraved monsters” who had been “terrorizing American communities,” and confirmed the flight to Eswatini had successfully landed.
Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, has not issued a public comment on the deportation. The small, landlocked nation, ruled by King Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch, had previously been mentioned in media reports as a possible recipient of deportees under US “safe third country” agreements.
This move comes shortly after the US deported eight migrants to South Sudan following delays and diplomatic friction. South Sudan initially agreed to accept the deportees, prompting Secretary of State Marco Rubio to revoke all visas issued to South Sudanese nationals a move that remains contentious.
Meanwhile, Nigeria has pushed back strongly against American pressure to accept third-country deportees, including Venezuelans. Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar stated the country would not “bow to pressure,” citing its own economic and security challenges. Analysts believe Nigeria’s refusal may be linked to a recently imposed 10% US tariff, interpreted by some as retaliatory.
President Trump, who made immigration a central theme of his campaign, has expanded enforcement far beyond previous administrations. Measures include targeting undocumented immigrants, revoking protections for temporary visa holders, pausing refugee admissions except for white South Africans, and intensifying immigration raids at workplaces a practice suspended during Joe Biden’s presidency.
Recent Supreme Court decisions have also paved the way for the US to deport migrants to countries other than their nation of origin, accelerating efforts to establish deportation agreements with countries like Rwanda, Benin, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Moldova.
Human rights organizations have raised concerns about the legality and ethics of transferring individuals to countries with no direct ties to them, warning of potential violations of international law. The deportation to Eswatini underscores the Trump administration’s uncompromising approach to immigration enforcement and highlights the geopolitical complexities of international deportation agreements.
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