Immigrant associations submit urgent plea to prevent imminent deportation flight from Libya
Vibe-Check: Here's the skinny on the latest immigration drama. It seems those Immigration Advocacy folks have filed an emergency motion to halt the Trump administration's controversial plan to send undocumented immigrants to Libya on a military plane.
Lowdown: According to a new court filing and reports, the administration is allegedly pushing ahead with this contentious plan, but details are foggy. official sources claim the first flight, if it happens at all, could take off as soon as this week, although who and how many migrants will be affected remains unclear.
Fly By Night: Flight trackers show a US Air Force C-17 planning a journey from San Antonio to Misrata Airport in Libya on Wednesday, but that's just a plane and a destination. No official whisper has emerged from the Pentagon, White House, or Department of Homeland Security about this move just yet.
On Hold: Last month, a federal judge ordered a temporary halt on deporting individuals to countries other than their home countries without providing notice first. The advocacy groups argue that the administration hasn't followed these procedures for the potential Libyan deportations.
Nitty-Gritty: The groups requested the court to prohibit flights carrying immigrants to Libya or any other country other than their origin, and to return those already sent to Libya, if necessary. One attorney reported that ICE informed a Filipino client with a removal order that he would be transported to Libya, but they didn't receive any written notice.
Pucker Factor: The White House and Libyan Government have stayed mum on the matter, while the State Department remains suitably diplomatic about the situation. The UN has previously criticized Libya for its treatment of migrants, and the Department's travel advisory warns against visiting Libya due to crime, terrorism, and armed conflict.
Africa, Here We Come?: Speculation swirls that plans to deport migrants to other African countries, such as Rwanda, are still in the works, but no confirmed flights to those destinations have been scheduled as of yet.
Final Word: This development is another escalation of the ever-evolving presidential deportation policies, which have consistently faced fierce political and legal backlash. Time will tell if these deportations become a reality.
Kudos to Natasha Bertrand, Jennifer Hansler, and Kylie Atwood for their stellar reporting, and to our ghostwriter for keeping this baby flowing.
This story has been updated with additional deets.
- The controversial plan by the Trump administration to deport undocumented immigrants to Libya on a military plane continues to spark debate in politics and general-news, as immigration advocacy groups have filed an emergency motion to halt this development.
- Despite unclear details about the first flight, reports suggest that it could take off as soon as this week, sparking concerns about deportation and crime-and-justice issues.
- The administration's actions surrounding these potential deportations have come under scrutiny, with advocacy groups alleging that they haven't followed the procedures established by a federal judge last month.
- The UN and the Department's travel advisory have expressed concern over the treatment of migrants in Libya, adding to the complexities and controversies surrounding this latest development in the presidential deportation policies.
