Laotian detainee released after 14 months in eSwatini under US deportation scheme
Phone Chomsavanh, a Laotian man sent to eSwatini by the U.S. third-country deportation program, has been freed after more than a year in jail.
Chomsavanh was among five immigrants deported to eSwatini in July 2025 as part of a secretive U.S. third-country deportation effort that began under the Trump administration. The program has moved roughly 500 people to African nations where they have no ties. His U.S. lawyer, Tin Thanh Nguyen, announced the release, noting the man learned of his destination only shortly before the military cargo plane arrived.
Why it matters
The case illustrates the human cost and controversy surrounding the U.S. third-country deportation program.
In this story
Laotian maneSwatini jailthird-country deportationU.S. programreleasedeportation controversy
