Four men deported to Eswatini denied lawyer visits for 9 months
Four men from Cuba, Yemen, Laos and Vietnam, deported to Eswatini with no ties there, were denied lawyers for nine months. Eswatini's Supreme Court ruled in April 2026 they have the right to meet counsel.
Apr 10, 2026Eswatini
Four men from Cuba, Yemen, Laos, and Vietnam were deported by the U.S. to Eswatini in July 2025 under the Trump administration's third-country deportation program, despite having no connection to the country. As part of a $5.1 million agreement between the U.S. and Eswatini to accept deported migrants who cannot easily be returned to their home countries, the men were held at a maximum-security prison and denied in-person legal counsel for nine months. After the Eswatini government appealed a lower court's decision granting them access to a lawyer, the Eswatini Supreme Court ruled in April 2026 that the men have the right to meet with legal counsel, rejecting government claims that they showed no interest in representation. The men had completed their U.S. prison sentences but remained detained in Eswatini without being charged with any crime there.
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- Court rules in favor of 4 men deported by the US to Africa and denied lawyer meetings for 9 months
Twin Cities·Apr 10, 2026·archived copy
- Eswatini Court Orders Access to Lawyers for Four Men Deported by US After Nine-Month Legal Blackout
Clear Press·Apr 11, 2026·archived copy
- Time News
- Eswatini Court Orders Lawyer Access for U.S.-Deported Men After Nine-Month Delay
Immigration Question·Apr 14, 2026·archived copy
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