If you ever wonder why Donald Trump‘s immigration policies are so incredibly cruel and violent, remember that this is the point. Trump, together with Kristi Noem and their legions of ICE goons, want immigrants to suffer in the most publicly humiliating ways possible and meet the worst fates, all the better to discourage other people from coming to the United States in the future.
That’s why they spend their time finding the worst possible destinations to send people. Now the Trump administration is tossing people from across the world into the war-torn nightmare that is South Sudan and leaving them to fend for themselves
The situation was exposed by two immigrants’ attorneys, who filed an emergency motion frantically trying to get them back:
Attorneys filed an emergency motion to block the Trump admin from sending two immigrants to South Sudan.
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) May 20, 2025
They're from Vietnam and Burma.
Motion here. https://t.co/JdY5tdBwAe pic.twitter.com/gYBBxmsA7F
As the motion reads: “N.M., a Burmese national with limited English proficiency, refused to sign the notice of removal to South Sudan which was provided to him only in English. This morning, they learned from a detention officer via email that N.M. was removed this same morning to South Sudan.”
The filing underlines that ten or more people may have been removed along with them, with their fates unknown: “Earlier this morning, class counsel received notification of a second class member, T.T.P., a national of Vietnam, who appears to have suffered the same fate as N.M., as well as information that there were likely at least 10 other class members on the plane to South Sudan.”
What is South Sudan like?
If you’re unfamiliar with South Sudan, it’s considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world. It suffers from ongoing internal armed conflict, with various regions controlled by violent warlords, is one of the least-developed countries in the world, and is the second-poorest country in the world by GDP.
But don’t take my word, take the word of the U.S. Government, which advises people “do not travel” to South Sudan, warning of “crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict” and underlines: “Violent crime, such as carjackings, shootings, ambushes, assaults, robberies, and kidnappings are common throughout South Sudan, including Juba. Foreign nationals have been the victims of rape, sexual assault, armed robberies, and other violent crimes.”
It’s unclear what the current status or location of the unfortunate people dumped in this hell is, but there are desperate moves afoot to rescue them. Late last night, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to “maintain custody” of these men, in hopes that a future judicial order will require them to be returned to the United States.
Sadly, even that’s probably a pipe dream. Trump has already displayed an utter disregard for judges trying to stop his cruelty, so the White House will probably just smirk, giggle, and argue that the people they’ve left to die were the most evil gang members to ever walk the Earth. However, the particulars shake out, don’t expect this story to have a happy ending.
