ACLU Lawyer: Trump Admin Used Ghana as 'Ruse' to Evade Asylum Court Orders

Trump Administration's Asylum "Ruse"

• 🎯 The Trump administration deported West African men to Ghana, despite immigration judges ordering they not be sent to their home countries due to fears of persecution or torture.
• 💡 This practice is described as a "complete ruse" to evade court orders by using third countries to achieve what is legally prohibited directly.
• ⚠️ The US government is accused of knowing, and potentially directing, Ghana to then repatriate these individuals to their home countries, where they face danger.

Third Country Agreements and Diplomatic Assurances

• 🤝 Ghana is one of several countries that have signed "third country agreements" with the US to accept deportees.
• 🔍 While diplomatic assurances for safe passage to third countries have existed, the Trump administration has used them categorically and with pressure, rather than sparingly on an individual basis.
• ⚖️ The case of a plaintiff known as KS highlights this, as he was sent to the Gambia despite a court order protecting him from return due to his sexuality.

Evasion of Legal Obligations

• 🏛️ US District Judge Tanya Chutkin expressed alarm, stating the removals appear to be part of a "widespread effort to evade the government's legal obligations by doing indirectly what it cannot do directly."
• 🚫 The ACLU argues that the US government should be concerned if Ghana violates diplomatic assurances, but instead, the US allegedly directed Ghana to send people to their home countries.
• ✈️ The case of Kilar Abgo Garcia, who was sent to El Salvador and then Africa despite having no ties there, illustrates the administration's intent to place individuals in difficult situations.

Trump's Rhetoric on Asylum and Borders

• 🗣️ President Trump has characterized asylum seekers as criminals who repay kindness with crime, advocating for an end to "open borders."
• 🚫 The ACLU counters that the administration is not just targeting the "worst of the worst" but also individuals with no criminal records, families, and long-term residents.
• 🚫 Furthermore, the administration has attempted to eliminate all asylum pathways, effectively making it impossible to apply for asylum in the US, a move that places the US alongside countries like Iran and North Korea in not offering safe haven.