US Immigration Can Deport Migrants To Other Than Home Countries With Six Hours Notification

JAKARTA - United States immigration officials can deport migrants to countries other than their home countries with just six hours of notification, a top official of the Trump Presidential Administration said in a memo, providing an early picture of how deportations could increase.

US Immigration and Customs (ICE) will generally wait at least 24 hours to deport someone after informing them of their transfer to what is called a "third country", according to a memo dated Wednesday, July 9, from the agency's acting director, Todd Lyons.

However, ICE can move them to what is called a "third country" with just a six-hour notification "in an urgent state," the memo said, provided the person has been given the opportunity to speak to a lawyer.

The memo states that migrants can be sent to countries that have promised not to persecute or torture them "without requiring further procedures."

The Washington Post first reported a new ICE memo.

The new ICE policy shows that President Donald Trump's administration can move quickly to send migrants to various countries around the world.

Earlier, the US Supreme Court in June revoked a lower court order limiting such deportations without examination for fear of abuse in the destination country.

Following the decision of the high court and subsequent orders from the judges, the Trump Administration sent eight migrants from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Sudan and Vietnam to South Sudan.

Pemerintah pekan lalu mendesak para pejabat dari lima negara Afrika - Liberia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania dan Gabon - untuk menerima orang-orang yang diportasi dari tempat lain, Reuters melaporkan.

The government argues that third-tier deportations help quickly move migrants that shouldn't be in the US, including those with criminal penalties.

Meanwhile, advocates criticized the deportation as a dangerous and cruel act, as people could be sent to countries where they could face violence, have no ties, and not speak the country's language.

Realmuto's lawyer for a group of migrants who are filing a class action lawsuit against rapid deportation to a third country in the National Immigration Litigation Alliance said the policy was "far from providing legal protection and legal proceedings required by law."

Deportation to third countries has been carried out in the past, but this method can be used more often as President Trump tries to increase deportation to a record-breaking level.

During the 2017-2021 Trump Presidential Period, his government deported a small number of people from El Salvador and Honduras to Guatemala.

Meanwhile, former Democratic Administration President Joe Biden reached an agreement with Mexico to accept thousands of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, as it was difficult to deported migrants to these countries.

The new ICE memo was filed as evidence in a lawsuit over the wrong deportation of Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador.