Deported and Forgotten: US Border Chief Admits Uncertainty Over Fate of Eight Sent to South Sudan

Eight men from countries including Mexico, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar were recently deported from the United States and flown to South Sudan, a nation still reeling from years of civil war. The Trump administration, which resumed the controversial practice of sending migrants to so-called third countries, has faced criticism for its lack of oversight regarding the men’s welfare.
Tom Homan, the US border czar, admitted he has no knowledge of what has happened to the deportees since their arrival in South Sudan.They’re free as far as we’re concerned. They’re no longer in our custody, they’re in Sudan, Homan stated, highlighting the administration’s hands-off approach once migrants leave US soil.
Of the eight men, only one reportedly has ties to South Sudan. The rest hail from countries with no connection to the war-torn African nation. After an initial court-ordered delay, the men were held at a military base in Djibouti before being transferred following Supreme Court decisions that upheld the administration’s right to deport migrants to third countries.
South Sudanese officials confirmed the men are in custody in Juba, under the care of local authorities who are screening them for safety and wellbeing. The episode has raised questions about the ethics and effectiveness of third-country deportations, especially to unstable regions.