Lao Immigrant Deported to Eswatini Freed After Year-long Detention
WHO:
ABC News - Phone Chomsavanh, a Lao citizen deported by the United States.
ABC News - Tin Thanh Nguyen, Chomsavanh's U.S.-based lawyer.
ABC News - Human Rights First, a rights group monitoring deportations.
ABC News - Eswatini government spokesperson.
WHAT:
ABC News - Chomsavanh's lawyer stated that he had only been informed of his deportation to Eswatini shortly before arriving there on a military cargo plane.
ABC News - Chomsavanh was deported to Laos after his release from Eswatini.
ABC News - Chomsavanh and the other immigrants deported to Eswatini were convicted of serious crimes in the U.S. but had completed their sentences prior to deportation.
ABC News - Chomsavanh's lawyer reported that he had left Eswatini and landed in Johannesburg en route to Laos.
ABC News - Chomsavanh was released from a maximum security prison in Eswatini after being held for more than a year.
ABC News - Chomsavanh was among five immigrants deported to Eswatini in July 2025.
ABC News - Chomsavanh was deported to Laos after his release from Eswatini.
ABC News - Approximately 500 immigrants have been deported from the U.S. to African countries under the third-country program.
ABC News - Eswatini has received around 30 deportees from the U.S. so far.
WHERE:
ABC News - Chomsavanh was held at the Matsapha Correctional Complex near Mbabane, Eswatini.
ABC News - Chomsavanh was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and moved to the United States when he was 7.
WHEN:
ABC News - Chomsavanh was deported to Eswatini in July 2025.
ABC News - Chomsavanh was released from prison on a Sunday after being held for more than a year.
WHY:
ABC News - The Trump administration's third-country deportation program has faced legal challenges, with a U.S. appeals court recently upholding a ruling to halt the program due to lack of time for immigrants to challenge their deportation.
ABC News - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled to temporarily allow the Trump administration to continue the program, with arguments set to be heard in December.
ABC News - The deportation occurred under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the third-country deportation program.
ABC News - The program has been criticized for holding immigrants in countries where they have no ties and where they haven't been charged with any crime.
HOW:
ABC News - Chomsavanh was informed of his deportation shortly before being flown to Eswatini on a military cargo plane.
ABC News - The Trump administration paid Eswatini $5.1 million to accept deportees.
(UPDATED October 5, 2026 07:26 UTC)
Chomsavanh's lawyer revealed that he was only informed of his deportation to Eswatini shortly before arriving there on a military cargo plane, and after his release, he was deported to Laos. Chomsavanh and other immigrants sent to Eswatini had completed their sentences for serious crimes in the U.S., and his lawyer reported that he has since left Eswatini and landed in Johannesburg en route to Laos. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's third-country deportation program is facing legal challenges, with a U.S. appeals court recently upholding a ruling to halt the program, although the Supreme Court has temporarily allowed it to continue, with arguments scheduled for December.
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(UPDATED October 5, 2026 05:26 UTC)
Phone Chomsavanh, a Lao citizen who was deported by the United States, has been released from a maximum security prison in Eswatini after more than a year of detention. Chomsavanh was among five immigrants deported to Eswatini in July 2025, and he was subsequently sent back to Laos following his release. The Trump administration's immigration policies, including a controversial third-country deportation program, have resulted in approximately 500 immigrants being sent to African countries, with Eswatini receiving around 30 deportees so far.