Forced Deportation Sparks Outrage: Two Asian Migrants Sent from the U.S. to South Sudan 
By
Yassine Atoui
21 May 2025
The U.S. administration is once again facing a wave of harsh criticism after deporting several migrants to South Sudan on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, including two Asian nationals. Their lawyers have denounced the decision as a blatant violation of international law and a federal court ruling.
According to documents submitted to the U.S. judiciary, the two migrants—identified only by their initials, “N.M.,” a Burmese citizen, and “T.T.P.,” a Vietnamese national—were put on a plane bound for South Sudan, one of the most unstable and impoverished countries in Africa.
The deportation reportedly took place without allowing them to exercise their right to seek protection under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, as required by a ruling issued in April.
Deportation to a Third Country with No Ties
Lawyers stated that they were informed by email from a detention officer about their client “N.M.” being deported on the morning of May 20. Another law firm representing “T.T.P.” reported receiving similar notification. Internal testimonies, not yet confirmed by authorities, suggest that at least ten other people were also on the same flight.
What has shocked observers the most—beyond the destination itself—is the complete lack of geographic or national connection between the Asian migrants and South Sudan, the country to which they were sent without any apparent justification. South Sudan, plagued by ongoing violence and a severe humanitarian crisis, has no official framework for receiving deported foreign nationals, let alone individuals with no ties to its territory.
Alleged Violation of Court Rulings
In a previous case involving deportations to Libya, a federal court ruled in April that any deportation to a third country must be preceded by an opportunity to request protection under the Convention Against Torture. Lawyers argue that this rule was ignored in the present case.
They are now demanding the immediate cancellation of the deportations and the return of the deported individuals to U.S. territory, asserting that the administration deliberately bypassed the legal process. As of Tuesday evening, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had not issued an official response to the lawyers’ demands or inquiries from AFP.
A Harsh and Controversial Deportation Policy
Since Donald Trump’s return to the presidency, combating illegal immigration has once again become a top priority for the U.S. executive branch. The Republican president has not hesitated to invoke old laws, including one dating back to 1798, to justify certain deportations—such as the February removal of 250 individuals to El Salvador, most of them Venezuelans, accused without formal evidence of gang affiliations.
The administration’s security-driven rhetoric—often marked by inflammatory terms like “invasion of foreign criminals”—has fueled a climate of tension and polarization around immigration policy in the U.S. However, several court rulings, including by the Supreme Court, have temporarily halted some of the government’s initiatives.
A New Diplomatic Controversy
In April, Washington barred South Sudanese nationals from obtaining U.S. visas on the grounds that their country refused to accept deported citizens. This ironic contrast with the recent decision to deport Asian foreigners to South Sudan risks fueling diplomatic confusion and raising questions about the United States’ adherence to its international commitments.
In the absence of official clarification, human rights organizations fear the normalization of hasty deportations to third countries without legal grounds—putting the lives of affected individuals at risk and undermining the international protection obligations the U.S. has pledged to uphold.
This case may mark a new turning point in the already strained relationship between the U.S. administration, the federal judiciary, and international human rights bodies.
The U.S. administration is once again facing a wave of harsh criticism after deporting several migrants to South Sudan on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, including two Asian nationals. Their lawyers have denounced the decision as a blatant violation of international law and a federal court ruling...
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