Migrant Deportation: Heading to Libya?
Trump's government intends to send migrants back to Libya and certain other nations.
Yo, what's good? I'm here to dish the deets on the Trump admin's latest deportation plan. Reportedly, the U.S. is considering sending immigrants to ... wait for it... Libya. Seems like they've been striking deals with various countries to take in people booted from the States, and Libya could be next, possibly as soon as this week.
Gawd dammit, Steve Inskeep, you've been on this one! Remember, those American officials have spent months hustling nations around to see who's ready to welcome their rejected residents. Now, let's bring in NPR's resident immigration hotshot, Ximena Bustillo, to enlighten us about this crazy scheme.
Hey, Ximena! Whatcha got for us, baby?
XIMENA: Hey!
FRIEDA: So, spill the beans about this Libya plan!
XIMENA: Well, according to intel I got from my colleague Tom Bowman, the administration's planning to use Libya as a third-country destination for migrants kicked out of the U.S. Rwanda's foreign minister is also hanging out with Washington about the same issue. It's all starting to feel like a big ol' deportation free-for-all!
Now, it's crucial to mention that the American military is in charge of deporting folks, but nobody's clear on the exact number of people or their nationalities that'll be sent on this crazy journey.
FRIEDA: Man, this sounds shady as hell, but what can we expect from the Trump team? They've been causing mayhem since Day 1! Trump even claimed ignorance about the plan yesterday, telling reporters to blast the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with questions. But, as usual, Homeland Security didn't respond.
XIMENA: Ain't that just the Trump way, though? And speaking of DHS, a judge in Massachusetts already slapped them with an injunction that forbids the department from evicting migrants to countries they're not from originally.
That means deporting people to countries they're not originally from. But, as we all know, when backed into a corner, the Trump admin gets creative. They've used other agencies, like the Defense Department, to kick people out of the U.S. Immigration lawyers went to court yesterday to beef up that injunction, asking the judge to block any deportations to Libya or other countries.
In fact, they argued that immigrants could be sent within the hour, so the judge had to step in and clarify that no agencies, even the Pentagon, can deport people to third countries unless those people get prior opportunities to challenge their expulsions.
FRIEDA: Now, Libya has been through enough, man. It's still dealing with violent conflicts and armed strife after the civil war that took out Muammar Gaddafi 15 years ago. Both the country's governments (eastern and western) issued statements rejecting the plan to send migrants there. Libya's got a reputation for human rights abuses, so I don't see this ending well.
XIMENA: Yeah, you're right. Libya's in relatively disarray, with a military bigwig running the eastern half and a U.N.-backed government running the west. I'd just like to add that moving people to Libya isn't the first time the Trump team's played hardball with other countries. Remember when they forked over $6 mil to El Salvador to jail migrants deported from the U.S. in a massive prison?
FRIEDA: Damn, that was dark! What's the point of these deals?
XIMENA: The administration's aiming to send migrants further away to keep them from crossing the U.S. border again. That's what Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, recently said. But there are practical challenges to sending them back to their home countries—like when those countries dodge accepting them, or there are limits to the number of immigrants a country will accept from the U.S.
Trump's goal is to speed up deportations and find more places for people to go. If Libya doesn't pan out, I bet a few other countries will be on the table.
FRIEDA: Thanks for the breakdown, Ximena! Stay sharp out there!
XIMENA: You got it, Fer“razy”ida!
- The Trump administration is reportedly considering sending immigrants, deported from the United States, to Libya as a third-country destination.
- The U.S. government has been negotiating with various countries to accept immigrants who are being deported, and Libya could be one of those involved.
- Ximena Bustillo, an immigration expert from NPR, suggests that the administration's plan to use Libya as a destination for deported migrants is part of a broader deportation scheme.
- The controversy over the potential deportation of migrants to Libya has led immigration lawyers to ask a judge to block any deportations to third countries without prior opportunities for immigrants to challenge their expulsions.
