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Four men deported to Eswatini win court order to meet lawyers after 9-month denial

Apr 10, 2026 · Eswatini

Four men deported to Eswatini win court order to meet lawyers after 9-month denial

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.

Timeline

Apr 10, 2026Eswatini Supreme Court ruled in favor of the four men, granting them the right to meet with lawyers after 9-month legal blackout
Jul 1, 2025Four men deported to Eswatini under third-country deportation program; immediately denied in-person legal counsel

Sources

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