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Trump administration deports undocumented immigrants to Eswatini amid legal controversy

07:29
Trump administration deports undocumented immigrants to Eswatini amid legal controversy
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The Trump administration has confirmed the deportation of five undocumented immigrants to Eswatini, a small landlocked nation in Southern Africa. The individuals, originally from Asian and Caribbean countries, were expelled on Tuesday, July 15, after their home countries refused to take them back.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the five men — from Vietnam, Laos, Yemen, Cuba, and Jamaica — were classified as “criminal foreign nationals.” Their identities and criminal records were made public, a move that has drawn criticism from human rights groups.

This marks the second such deportation to a third country in recent weeks. On July 4, eight undocumented individuals were sent to South Sudan, a nation struggling with conflict and poverty. That transfer followed a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing such expulsions after a lengthy legal battle.

Eswatini, led by King Mswati III since 1986, is Africa's last absolute monarchy. The country has faced international criticism for authoritarian rule, lavish royal spending, and persistent human rights concerns.

President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a central tenet of his administration. He has repeatedly described undocumented immigrants as a threat to national security and has promoted mass deportations. However, his efforts have often been delayed or blocked by U.S. courts, which argue that deportees must be given a chance to exercise their legal rights.



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