The United States has recently streamlined its deportation policy by entering into bilateral agreements with Honduras and Uganda, marking a significant shift in its approach towards managing illegal immigration. According to documents shared by CBS, Uganda is set to accept an unspecified number of African and Asian asylum seekers who attempted to enter the US via the US-Mexico border. Meanwhile, Honduras will take in several hundred deportees from various Spanish-speaking countries.
These efforts are part of the Trump administration’s initiative to persuade more nations to accept deported individuals who are not their citizens. However, human rights advocates have raised alarms over the potential dangers these migrants might face upon arrival in their new host countries. Under the agreement, Uganda has stipulated that it will accept only those who do not have criminal records, although the exact number of migrants to be received remains unclear.
Honduras has committed to accepting deported individuals over the next two years, including families with children, but may choose to take in more than originally agreed. This tactic is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to secure deportation protocols with various nations, even those with contentious human rights policies. So far, around a dozen nations have consented to such agreements.
Notably, the US State Department recently announced a “safe third country” agreement with Paraguay to jointly address the challenges of illegal immigration, while the White House reportedly seeks similar deals with additional African countries. Rwanda, for instance, has indicated it will take in up to 250 migrants from the US, provided it can vet those individuals for resettlement.
This strategic move aligns with the government's long-term ambition to remove undocumented immigrants, a key promise that resonated with Trump's electoral base. In June, the US Supreme Court facilitated the resumption of deportations to third countries without allowing migrants the opportunity to voice any potential risks they might encounter there. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson expressed dissent, labeling this action as a "gross abuse."
Concerns also arise from UN rights experts who argue that returning migrants to countries where they may face harm could breach international law. As these deportation strategies evolve, the realities facing those affected prompt critical discussions around human rights and international obligations. With ongoing developments, the landscape of US immigration policy continues to shift dramatically.
