How did migrants and ICE agents end up stuck in a metal box at a naval base?
In a startling turn, eight deportees—hailing from Cuba, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Mexico and South Sudan—and thirteen ICE officers are confined in a converted shipping container at the U.S. naval base in Djibouti, with no easy route forward.
The chaos began when a federal judge in Boston, Brian E. Murphy, halted their deportation to South Sudan. He ruled that sending migrants to a country where they aren’t nationals—without legal screenings—violated earlier court orders.
🏚️ Makeshift Detention in Blistering Heat
- The container—once a briefing room—is now their “home”. With daytime temps above 100°F (38°C), smoke from nearby burn pits, and minimal ventilation, the conditions are dire.
- Inside: six beds for thirteen ICE agents, many sleeping on floors or in shifts.
- Within 72 hours, both detainees and officers began suffering upper respiratory infections—coughs, fevers, aching joints—and access to medication has been irregular.
💼 A Legal and Diplomatic Crisis
Judge Murphy argued the migrants were denied the chance to challenge removal to a non-home country. The Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court, citing the “criminal backgrounds” of the migrants and a need to bypass judicial oversight for deportations.
Critics argue this is a flagrant violation of due process, while DHS is warning the situation poses “national security and health risks.”
⚠️ Risk of Violence, Illness, and No Exit
- The naval base is within rocket range of Houthi factions in Yemen, yet ICE agents reportedly were not provided body armour.
- Malaria prophylaxis was not provided before deployment, increasing vulnerability to mosquito-borne illness.
This situation underscores the reality that deporting to third countries without robust legal and medical protocols can create more dangers than solutions.
“Within 72 hours of landing in Djibouti, the officers and detainees began to feel ill.”
— DHS official Mellissa Harper
This isn’t just a logistics failure—it’s a legal and humanitarian breakdown in immigration enforcement. Congress, the judiciary, and executive agencies must reassess:
- Are deportations to third-party countries ever lawful without screenings?
- What protections should be in place for detainees and officers?
- Who takes responsibility if someone gets sick or worse?
It’s time to rethink deportation policy—before this dangerous chain of events repeats.
