U.S. Third-Country Deportations of LGBTQ Migrants: A Mauritanian Case

The report examines the deportation of a Mauritanian man who fled anti-LGBTQ persecution and was later sent by U.S. immigration authorities to Eswatini and Senegal. It also reviews Reuters findings on U.S. third-country deportations of LGBTQ migrants and related court rulings.

■ A Mauritanian man's deportation
- Fleeing anti-LGBTQ persecution in Mauritania; lived in the U.S. over a decade; ICE detained and deported him in January.
- Sent to Eswatini, then returned to Mauritania, and later crossed into Senegal.

■ U.S. third-country deportation policy and data
- Trump administration expands deportations to third countries; over 40,000 sent to non-home countries, about 900 to Africa.
- Reuters tracked 40 cases of LGBTQ migrants with U.S. legal protection deported to African third countries; Biden-era asylum rule and court rulings.

■ Legal challenges and destination-country risks
- Destination countries criminalize same-sex relations or are described as anti-LGBTQ by the State Department.
- A Togolese asylum seeker was flown to Sierra Leone; DHS says ICE does not apply law based on sexual orientation; the case continues in December.

Viewers interested in immigration policy, LGBTQ asylum, and international human rights will gain an overview of third-country deportation practices and the legal debates surrounding them. It provides context for understanding the case and the broader policy landscape.