Trump administration uses third-country deportations to Eswatini

An investigation has revealed details regarding the Trump administration’s use of third-country deportations, where individuals are expelled to nations that are neither their home nor their country of origin. In one documented case from July 2025, a man from Laos was shackled and flown from the United States via Djibouti, only to be delivered to a maximum-security prison in Eswatini. The individuals on the flight included people from Vietnam, Yemen, Jamaica, and Cuba.

This practice has faced legal challenges regarding due process. The First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the administration cannot deport individuals to random countries without providing adequate warning and a fair opportunity for the person to claim a reasonable fear of persecution or torture in the destination country. Following this ruling, which took effect on September 23, the administration has sought intervention from the Supreme Court to maintain its authority over these deportation processes.