U.S. Immigration Officials Plan to Deport Migrants to Third Countries Without Prior Notice
Under a new policy, U.S. immigration officials could deport migrants to countries where they are not citizens in as little as six hours, even without assurances of their safety, according to a document obtained by the American press.
Kokcha News Agency: A document obtained by U.S. media reveals that immigration officials under the Donald Trump administration are preparing to deport migrants to third countries in as little as six hours, often without prior notice or guarantees of their safety. The policy, which accelerates the detention and deportation process, allows for migrants to be sent to countries where they may face persecution or torture, even without diplomatic assurances of their well-being.
The Washington Post (WP) reported that Todd M. Lyons, Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sent an internal memo to ICE personnel last week. The memo stated that a recent Supreme Court decision has paved the way for the immediate deportation of migrants to “alternative” countries.
According to the memo, migrants can be sent to third countries with just 24 hours’ notice, and in “urgent” cases, this notice period can be reduced to six hours. In some cases, migrants may be deported without any prior notification, even if they have no ties to the country they are being sent to.
Lyons’ memo also indicated that if the State Department believes the “assurances” of safety are credible, ICE can deport individuals to third countries “without further procedures.”
Concerns Over Safety and Legal Rights
Immigration lawyers have warned that this policy could result in long-term U.S. residents, including those with work permits and families, being deported to countries where they have no connections or even speak the language.
The memo also affects migrants who have been granted a stay of deportation by a court due to the risk of harm in their home countries. Under the new policy, these individuals could still be deported.
Trina Realmuto, Executive Director of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, criticized the policy, stating, “This puts thousands of lives at risk of persecution and torture.”
The National Immigration Litigation Alliance had previously filed a lawsuit in March, alleging that the U.S. government was violating federal law by sending people to places where they could face harm or death.
In June, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of continuing deportations, despite concerns raised by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who warned that the decision endangered lives.
