US Deports Eight to South Sudan After Weeks-Long Detention in Djibouti

Deportees Include Nationals of Six Countries with Serious Convictions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States has deported eight individuals to South Sudan, concluding a legal and diplomatic standoff that saw the men temporarily diverted to Djibouti for several weeks.

According to U.S. immigration authorities, the men had been convicted of serious crimes in the U.S., including murder, sexual assault, and robbery. All had either completed or were nearing the end of their prison terms.

Only One Deported Individual Is South Sudanese

In a move raising legal and diplomatic questions, only one of the eight deported men is a South Sudanese national. The others hail from Myanmar, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and Mexico. U.S. officials said that most of these individuals’ home countries had refused to accept their return, prompting the U.S. to arrange their deportation to South Sudan instead.

Third-Country Deportations on the Rise Under Trump Policy

The deportation is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to expand deportations to “third countries” when primary countries of origin decline to cooperate.

This emerging policy raises legal and humanitarian concerns, particularly when deported individuals are sent to countries with which they have no legal or cultural ties.