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BackImmigrant Deported to eSwatini Under Trump Administration's Third-Country Programme Released
Immigrant Deported to eSwatini Under Trump Administration's Third-Country Programme Released
Developing
SCMP Economy1 hour agoPolitics1 min readChina

Immigrant Deported to eSwatini Under Trump Administration's Third-Country Programme Released

phone chomsavanhtin thanh nguyeneswatini

Quick Look

Phone Chomsavanh, one of five immigrants deported to eSwatini in July 2025 under the Trump administration's secretive third-country deportation programme, has been released after being informed of his deportation only shortly before arrival, according to his US-based lawyer Tin Thanh Nguyen.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The Trump administration initiated a secretive third-country deportation programme in its early days, sending immigrants to countries like eSwatini where they have no familial or legal ties, a practice criticized for lacking transparency and due process.

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Phone Chomsavanh was among five immigrants deported to eSwatini – where he has no ties – in July 2025, in the early days of the Trump administration’s secretive and highly contentious third-country deportation programme.

Chomsavanh’s US-based lawyer, Tin Thanh Nguyen, said in a statement announcing his release that he had been informed that he was being deported to eSwatini only shortly before a military cargo plane carrying him and other deportees landed there more than 14 months ago.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • Legal challenges will be filed against the third-country deportation programme

    Likely · Within months

Open Questions

  • What legal basis exists for deporting individuals to countries with which they have no ties?
  • How many others remain detained or deported under this programme?
  • What conditions did deportees face in eSwatini prior to release?
  • Is the programme still active, and what oversight mechanisms exist?

Related Topics

phone chomsavanh
PeoplePhone ChomsavanhTin Thanh Nguyen
OrganizationsTrump administration
PlaceseSwatiniUnited States
Topicstin thanh nguyeneswatinithird-country deportationtrump administrationimmigrant releasejuly 2025 deportation
This article was originally published by SCMP Economy.

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