In late January, as the Trump administration prepared for potential airstrikes and deployed military assets near Iran, government officials deported 18 individuals to Iran. These deportations were part of a broader campaign that saw over 200 Iranians sent back to their home country during the first 13 months of Trump's presidency, despite the State Department's warnings against travel to Iran due to human rights abuses.
Deportations to Dangerous Countries
According to an analysis of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data by the Marshall Project, the US government deported more than 21,000 people to countries classified as too dangerous for American citizens to visit. These nations include war-torn Ukraine, politically unstable Haiti, and repressive Myanmar. The overwhelming majority of those deported had no criminal convictions, and at least 600 were children.
ICE did not respond to inquiries about the procedures for deportations to unsafe countries. Susan Akram, a law professor at Boston University, condemned the practice as immoral and inhumane, arguing it violates US and international laws.
Legal and Ethical Concerns
International law prohibits sending asylum seekers to countries where they face threats to life or freedom, a principle adopted by the US through the 1980 Refugee Act. The ICE data does not specify how many deportees had pending asylum claims. Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge, countered that deportees had ample opportunities to contest their removal under US law.
Since September, the US has sent three planeloads of people to Iran, including a Christian convert and a political dissident, both at risk of persecution. The State Department's travel advisory system currently lists 23 countries as off-limits for US citizens.
Venezuela and TPS
Venezuela, long deemed dangerous by the State Department, received over 18,000 deportees, including around 200 non-citizens. Deportations continued even amid US operations to topple the Maduro government. Human Rights Watch's Juan Pappier highlighted the hypocrisy of labeling a country dangerous while sending deportees there.
Many of these dangerous countries overlap with those eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which the Trump administration has sought to end for at least nine nations. Critics argue this undermines the purpose of TPS. More than 1,300 people were deported to Haiti, and hundreds to Somalia and Afghanistan.
Historical Context and Ongoing Litigation
Both Democratic and Republican administrations have deported immigrants to unstable countries. The Biden administration also sent tens of thousands to Haiti despite unrest. Many Trump-era changes to TPS are under legal challenge. In rare cases, deportations occurred to countries without diplomatic relations, such as North Korea. For Iran, cooperation between the two governments was necessary.
Ryan Costello of the National Iranian American Council called the policy horrific, noting the contradiction of denouncing Iran's regime while sending people back into a US-initiated war.
