Sending People…Where?!?!
Ramping Up the Forced Removal of Migrants
I’m quite sure that you’ve heard this one, but the Trump administration is now attempting to send migrants to Libya. Yes, that Libya. The Libya that, “is not a safe place to send anyone”, per director of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) Sarah Leah Wilson. Arbitrary detention, torture, rape, slavery, and human trafficking have been reported there by Amnesty International, the UN, and other groups. Even the U.S. State Department, in its 2024 annual human rights report, criticized Libya’s “harsh and life-threatening prison conditions.” Furthermore, the department advises U.S. citizens against visiting Libya due to “crime, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict.”
Now the government of the United States of America wants to deport humans to prisons there?
To make it worse, the Trump administration is attempting negotiations with more countries across the globe in which to imprison deportees from the U.S. while our judicial system has thankfully blocked deportation flights to Libya for the moment. Those countries include Angola, Benin, Eswatini, Moldova, and Rwanda. U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio was quoted on the subject last week during a cabinet meeting, after stating Washington wasn’t satisfied sending migrants only to El Salvador, as follows:
“We are working with other countries to say ‘we want to send you some of the most despicable human beings; will you do this as a favor to us?’ And the further away from America, the better.”
Mr. Trump, when asked about the planned deportations, stated simply that he didn’t know whether they were happening. “You’ll have to ask Homeland Security.” And the band played on.
There are two wee bright spots, as I see them. Firstly, neither rival government of Libya will accept American deportees. Libya’s Government of National Unity said it rejected the use of its territory as a destination for deporting migrants without its knowledge or consent, and has had no coordination whatsoever with the U.S. in this regard. The Libyan National Army similarly rejected the idea, stating that taking in U.S. deportees “violates the sovereignty of the homeland.”
The second bright spot is our judicial system and the ability it possesses under the Alien Enemies Act under the little referenced (by team Trump) section entitled “ §23 Jurisdiction of United States courts and judges”. I’m not a lawyer here, but my ability to read tells me that there gives these purported “enemies” the right to due process, and gives our judges the right and duty to hear each one’s case. If there’s a lawyer in the house, constructive feedback
I have had enough indeed! Thanks for listening fam! If you find my work worthwhile, please subscribe-it will cost you nothing!-and share. ☮️
Ssources:
7 May 2025, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, and Humeyra Pamuk, “Swiftly Deporting More Migrants to Libya Would Violate Court Order, U.S. Judge Rules” https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-may-soon-deport-migrants-libya-military-flight-sources-say-2025-05-07/
7 May 2025, Lorenzo Tondo (Palermo), Edward Helmore (NewYork), and Robert Mackey (Portland), “US reportedly planning to deport migrants to Libya despite ‘clear’ violation of court order” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/07/us-planning-to-deport-migrants-to-libya-despite-hellish-conditions-reports
50 U.S.C Chapter 3 §23 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:50%20sectio…0-section21)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true