Deported Somali immigrants file suit against U.S. for inhumane conditions during removal flight
- The 92 deported individuals were reportedly subjected to physical and psychological abuse during a 48-hour trip intended for Mogadishu, including physical shackling, medication withholding, and lack of restroom access.
- After landing in Dakar, Senegal, the flight was held for nearly 24 hours before eventually returning to the U.S., with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials denying incident.
- The lawsuit seeks to reopen their deportation cases and ensure the future treatment and security of the plaintiffs, with some having lived in the U.S. for decades and fearing retribution by the militant group al-Shabaab given the publicity surrounding the flight.
Read
“Somalis were shackled for nearly 48 hours on failed US deportation flight” (The Guardian | December 2017)
“Somalis faced ‘inhumane’ abuse on US deportation flight” (Al Jazeera | December 2017)
“Somalis faced ‘slave ship conditions’ on failed deportation flight” (Public Radio International, via USA Today | December 2017)
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