by Their destiny is still unknown eight days after U.S. authorities ended a months-long court battle by deporting eight migrants to war-torn South Sudan. The Trump administration claims it is no longer in charge of the group, despite having referred to the individuals as the worst of the worst.
In a statement, the South Sudanese government declared that the individuals, all of whom had been found guilty of crimes in the United States, were in the custody of the appropriate authorities, but it made no mention of their whereabouts or future plans. Their legal team says that since they landed just before midnight on July 4, none of their family members had heard from them.
Immigration experts predict that the Trump administration will increase the use of so-called third-country deportations, an aggressive strategy in which migrants are sent to countries other than their home countries, now that the Supreme Court has decided that the deportations from South Sudan pass legal muster.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released new internal instructions on Wednesday that may hasten deportations to third countries, citing the verdict. The guidelines state that deportations can happen right away if a nation has given reliable diplomatic guarantees that deportees won’t face persecution or torture.
The guidance requires ICE to notify migrants that they are being deported to a specific nation when the United States has not received those guarantees. However, the agency is not required to inquire as to whether the migrant fears being deported to that nation. If the migrant does not object in advance, the new agency regulations seem to permit deportations in as little as six hours.
Trina Realmuto, a lawyer for the migrants transported to South Sudan, stated, “I think they’re feeling emboldened to do it on a more widespread scale because the Supreme Court allowed them to do this.” She went on to say that the lack of knowledge concerning the eight guys causes anxiety and places their relatives in an unworkable situation.
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