Laotian Deportee Released After Year in Eswatini Prison
A Laotian immigrant deported to Eswatini under Trump's policy is released after over a year in prison, sparking outrage.
POLICY WIRE — Cape Town, South Africa — A Laotian citizen deported by the United States and held in an African prison for more than a year has been released, his lawyer confirmed. The man, Phone Chomsavanh, was sent to Eswatini under the Trump administration’s controversial third-country deportation program.
Chomsavanh was among five immigrants deported to Eswatini, a nation with which he had no ties, in July 2025. He was detained at the Matsapha Correctional Complex near Mbabane, where he remained for over a year without due process or explanation. His lawyer, Tin Thanh Nguyen, criticized the treatment, stating that Chomsavanh had already served his sentence in the U.S. before being deported.
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The Trump administration defended the policy as a way to quickly remove immigrants with final deportation orders, but it has faced widespread criticism from human rights groups and legal experts. The program, which involves sending immigrants to countries they have no connection to, has sparked legal challenges and concerns over the conditions of those deported.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
