The United States government started deportation of illegal immigrants in January after President Donald Trump signed an executive order for the deportation of illegal immigrants on his first day in office. In April 2025, Makula Kintu, a Congolese national, was deported to Juba after South Sudan and Washington settled a standoff over his identity. A South Sudanese national, Nimeiri Garang, was also deported to South Sudan in early May 2025.
News of aliens with criminal records from Belarus and Vietnam who were denied entry into their home countries being deported to South Sudan has now surfaced. Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO), expresses concern over the alleged deportation of people with criminal records to South Sudan.
“Is there any arrangement between Juba and Washington for Juba to become a dumping ground for criminals?” Yakani asks.
Yakani argues that the alleged foreign nationals deported to South Sudan may commit similar crimes they committed in the US against South Sudanese.
A video circulating on social media has some US officials from the state department of homeland security, immigration and customs enforcement claiming they reached an agreement with the government of South Sudan to deport foreign nationals to South Sudan.
However, South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to respond. On Wednesday, US District Judge Brian E Murphy ruled that the Trump administration had violated his Tuesday court order by deporting foreign nationals to South Sudan. Only one of the eight deportees held a South Sudanese nationality.
Data from the US Department of Homeland Security indicates that 37,660 individuals from different foreign nations were deported in President Donald Trump’s first month in office. This is less than the 57,000 individuals who were deported monthly during the administration of former US President, Joe Biden.
The United Nations has reported some human rights violations related to the arrest, detention and deportation process.
