Washington, D.C. — A Jamaican man is among five foreign nationals deported from the United States to Eswatini, under a controversial third-country deportation policy that has drawn sharp criticism for its lack of due process and transparency. The deportees were described by U.S. officials as “barbaric” and “depraved,” prompting further concerns over the language and legal framework surrounding such removals.
In a statement posted Monday on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, announced the deportation flight to Eswatini — a landlocked Southern African country — characterizing the individuals involved in stark terms.
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“This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back,” McLaughlin wrote. “These depraved monsters have been terrorizing American communities, but thanks to [President] Trump and [Secretary] Noem, they are off of American soil.”
The deportees, all men, were not named in the release, though photos were shared publicly. Among them was a Jamaican man, described as dark-skinned and grizzled in appearance, who was reportedly convicted of multiple serious offenses, including murder (25 years’ imprisonment), robbery (6 years), and illegal possession of a weapon (6 months).
He was deported alongside citizens of Yemen, Cuba, Vietnam, and Laos, who were also reportedly convicted of crimes ranging from murder to child rape. The deportation to Eswatini, which has no known ties to the deportees’ nationalities, reflects a growing use of so-called “third-country” deportation — in which the U.S. removes individuals to nations other than their country of origin, especially when their home governments refuse repatriation.
The move comes days after the Washington Post published a leaked memorandum from Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, which revealed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may now deport individuals to third countries with as little as six hours’ notice and without diplomatic assurances that the deportees will be protected from persecution or torture.
Under the memo:
- Deportees being sent to countries without assurances of safety are to be informed 24 hours in advance, or six hours in “exigent” circumstances.
- If the receiving country has provided such assurances, no prior notice to the individual is required.
Human rights groups have expressed concern that such practices may violate international asylum and humanitarian protections. The 2023 U.S. State Department Human Rights Report on Eswatini cited “credible reports of arbitrary killings, torture, and political repression,” and noted serious concerns about media freedom, judicial independence, and civil liberties.
Despite these warnings, the U.S. currently maintains a Level 2 travel advisory for Eswatini, urging American citizens to exercise increased caution in the country.
The deportation aligns with President Donald Trump’s renewed push for mass deportations, which has been a central theme of his administration’s second-term immigration agenda. While the Biden and Obama administrations also faced challenges with repatriating individuals to uncooperative countries, the Trump-era policies have accelerated and broadened the scope of removals — often circumventing traditional diplomatic and legal review processes.
Critics argue that the public language used by officials like McLaughlin risks dehumanizing deportees and undermining the rule of law, while supporters say the measures are necessary to protect American communities from violent offenders.
As legal experts and human rights observers monitor developments, the use of third-country deportations — particularly to countries with documented human rights concerns — is likely to remain a flashpoint in U.S. immigration policy debates.
