A senior official in U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration revealed in a memo that immigration authorities may deport migrants to countries other than their country of origin with as little as six hours’ notice, offering a glimpse into how upcoming deportation operations may unfold.
اضافة اعلان
The memo, dated Wednesday, July 9, was authored by Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It states that the administration generally plans to wait at least 24 hours before transferring individuals after informing them of their deportation to a so-called “third country.”
However, under “urgent circumstances,” the memo allows deportations to proceed with only six hours’ notice, provided that the individual has been given an opportunity to speak with a lawyer.
The policy also permits sending migrants to countries that provide assurances they will not be persecuted or tortured, without requiring additional legal procedures.
This new ICE policy signals that the Trump administration intends to move swiftly in deporting migrants to various countries around the world.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that had limited such deportations without first examining whether the migrants feared persecution in the third countries.
Following the Supreme Court decision and a subsequent court order, the Trump administration deported eight migrants from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Sudan, and Vietnam to South Sudan.
According to Reuters, the Trump administration last week pressured officials in five African nations—Liberia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Gabon—to accept deported individuals who hold other nationalities.
The Washington Post was the first to report on the new ICE memorandum.
