Latin American migrants deported by U.S. immigration officials to West Africa described being left stranded in limbo with no prior notice. None of the individuals placed in a coastal hotel in Monrovia, Liberia, are citizens of that country, and many hail from nations including Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Venezuela. The deportations are part of an intensifying tactic by the Trump administration to send individuals to far-flung places where they have no personal ties. Many of the affected individuals had previously won legal protections in American immigration courts, which barred their removal to their home countries due to risks of persecution or torture. Despite lacking permanent immigration status, they were targeted for third-country deportation without being given a chance to challenge the decision or being informed of their destination beforehand. Migrants interviewed stated they had never heard of Liberia prior to their arrival on August 20. While the Department of Homeland Security defended the actions as part of a lawful deportation operation, records show the vast majority of those sent to Liberia lacked criminal convictions beyond immigration violations. Liberia’s government previously agreed to accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees as a humanitarian gesture, though only a small initial group has arrived. While the deportees are technically free to leave their hotel and receive basic necessities from the United Nations migration agency, they remain unable to return to the U.S. where many have spouses and children, and fearful of returning to their homelands.
Source: cbsnews.com
