President Donald Trump’s deputies have deported 15 illegal migrants to Africa, roughly 7,000 miles from their homes in Central America, according to the Associated Press.
“An official at the Congolese migration agency confirmed the arrivals but didn’t provide details,” the AP reported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, adding:
The deportees are all from Latin America and the Congolese government plans to keep them in the country for a short period, said U.S. attorney Alma David, who represents one of the deportees. She has been speaking with her client since arriving in Kinshasa.
The new “Safe Third Country” deportation policy is a big win because it bypasses a legal maneuver used by many migrants who persuaded judges that their home country is too dangerous for a safe deportation.
That courtroom maneuver has allowed many migrants — including the 15 Congo deportees plus “Maryland Man” Kilmar Abrego Garcia — to stay in the United States even after they are ordered home.
The result is that more detained migrants are agreeing to go home instead of starting legal battles that might cause them to be deported to the Congo.
Democrats strongly oppose the deportation of migrants to “Safe Third Countries.” In February, for example, House Democrats complained that Trump had spent $40 million to deport 300 migrants to other countries.
But the “Safe Third” policy is likely to save much money because it pressures arrested migrants to quickly self-deport to their home countries before the government sends them to far-distant, unfamiliar countries.
The policy also allows the easy deportation of migrants from countries that block the return of their own nationals. For example, India, China, Laos, Vietnam, and many other countries have refused to accept the return of illegal migrants — and especially criminal migrants who have just been released from jail for crimes.
So far, Trump’s deputies have won “Safe Third Country” deals with seven African countries, plus many more in Central and South America. Migrants have already been dropped off in Ghana, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda.
U.S. officials are negotiating similar deals with more than 40 additional nations.
In 2021, President Joe Biden’s pro-migration deputies quickly cancelled several “Safe Third Country” deals that were established during Trump’s first term.
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