The United States government has confirmed the deportation of eight men to South Sudan, a country plagued by violence and instability, despite concerns from human rights groups and the US State Department. The deportations were carried out on July 4, 2025, after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing the deportations to proceed.
The eight men, immigrants from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, South Sudan, and Vietnam, had been held at a US military base in Djibouti since late May. They had been convicted of serious crimes, including first-degree murder, robbery, drug trafficking, and sexual assault. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), their deportation was part of an ongoing effort to strengthen border security and remove individuals from the US who have committed crimes.
However, human rights groups and progressive lawmakers have criticized the deportations, citing concerns about safety risks and potential abuses in South Sudan. “These third country deportations are wrong, period. And the United States should not be sending people to a literal war zone,” wrote Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal on social media. Blaine Bookey, legal director at the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, also condemned the US’s use of deportations to third countries, stating that it “flies in the face of due process rights, the United States’ international legal obligations, and basic principles of human decency”.
The Supreme Court’s decision to allow the deportations was met with dissent from Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, who warned that sending the men to South Sudan without proper safeguards could lead to torture or death. Despite these concerns, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin hailed the removals as “a win for the rule of law, safety and security of the American people”.
The men were deported to South Sudan on July 4, and their current location is unknown. The US State Department advises citizens not to travel to South Sudan due to crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict. The United Nations has also warned of a potential resurgence of civil war in the country. This case has sparked debate about the Trump administration’s immigration policies and the use of deportations to third countries, raising questions about human rights and national security.
