Jesus Munoz-Gutierrez has reportedly said he “felt kidnapped” when Washington “wrongfully” sent him to South Sudan
South Sudan has repatriated a Mexican national it accepted from the US in July under the third-country deportation scheme launched by the administration of President Donald Trump. The man was returned to Mexico on Saturday, the East African nation’s Foreign Ministry announced.
Jesus Munoz-Gutierrez was among eight people US Homeland Security labeled “barbaric criminal illegal aliens” and deported to South Sudan on July 5, saying their home countries had refused to take them back.
In a statement, the South Sudanese Foreign Ministry said it “affirms that Mr. Munoz Gutierrez was treated with full respect for his human dignity and fundamental rights throughout his temporary presence in the country.”
Juba said Mexico had formally assured it that Gutierrez “will not be subjected to torture, inhumane or degrading treatment, or undue prosecution upon his return.” The government added that it is committed to working with international partners, including the governments of the six remaining third-country deportees, to ensure their safe and humane treatment and eventual repatriation.
Munoz-Gutierrez told journalists in Juba that he “felt kidnapped” when the US “wrongfully” sent him to South Sudan instead of returning him to Mexico, the Associated Press reported.
South Sudan is one of four African countries that have agreed to host migrants deemed by Washington as ineligible to remain in the US over security concerns. Eswatini and Rwanda have also received deportees in recent weeks after the US Supreme Court’s conservative majority overturned a lower court ruling in June, clearing the White House to proceed with removals. Last month, Uganda announced a “temporary arrangement” with the US to accept migrants without criminal records as part of broader bilateral cooperation.
The deals, with financial incentives still unclear, have drawn widespread criticism. UN human rights experts have warned the Trump administration risks violating principles of migrant protection, due process, and protections against chain refoulement.
The African Union’s human rights body, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, has denounced the agreements as an attempt by Washington to “externalize migration responsibilities.” The commission has urged participating countries to halt policies that risk turning the continent into a “dumping zone” for arbitrary expulsions.
