Asian Immigrants in the US Saved from Deportation to Libya
By Romen Basu Borsellino | 09 May, 2025

A federal judge has prevented President Trump from sending a group of Asian immigrants to Northern Africa.

On Wednesday US District Judge Brian Murphy blocked President Trump’s attempt to deport Asian migrants to Libya. The motion, filed by the lawyers of immigrants from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, cited evidence of an imminent plan by the Trump Administration to remove their clients, currently held in Texas, via a military aircraft.

If reading the above sentences raises more questions in your mind than they answered, I promise that you're not alone. There appears to be no connection between the North African nation of Libya and the immigrants who would be sent there. Which begs the question: why?

Let’s be honest: One might reasonably assume that Trump chose Libya because he thought it was in Asia. He isn’t exactly known for his geographical prowess. In 2017 the President referred to the non-existent nation of “Nambia,” which he likely created by combining Namibia and Zambia. Is “Libya” the product of Laos, Bali, and India in Trump’s mind?

But plausible as any Trump faux-pas may be, his choice of Libya was likely not by mistake. Rather, it’s part of what the Administration is calling “third party deportation,” a move in which they send immigrants to seemingly arbitrary places outside of the US. In his first 100 days back in office, Trump has sent hundreds of migrants to El Salvador, including Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who the Supreme Court has demanded be returned.  

This begs another question: Will the Trump Administration follow Judge Murphy’s orders? While failing to do so would be a blatant disregard for the constitution, it would be nothing new for this Administration. Trump is, after all, yet to follow the Supreme Court’s order that Abrego Garcia be returned. 

Sending migrants — or anyone for that matter —  to Libyan detention facilities would be a disaster. In a 2021 report Amnesty International described the war-torn country’s facilities as “horrific” and “a hellscape” and uncovered cases of sexual violence against men, women and children. Other human rights watchdog organizations pointed to instances of torture, forced labor, and slavery in these facilities.

Per the lawyers of the detainees, a Filipino man was told that he would be sent to Libya while a Laotian man was told he would be sent to Saudi Arabia. Judge Murphy's order would prevent the administration from sending detainees currently held in his district to any country. 

Other so-called third party deportation destinations that have agreed to take US immigrants include Rwanda, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Cuba.

When asked on Wednesday to confirm if his administration does in fact plan to send detainees to Libya, President Trump said “I don’t know.”