Lao Migrant Deported by US Released From Eswatini Prison, Lawyer Says

A citizen of Laos deported by the United States has been released from a maximum-security prison in Eswatini after more than a year in detention, according to his American lawyer.

The case is linked to the deportation campaign carried out by President Donald Trump’s administration. The man was sent to the southern African kingdom rather than to his country of citizenship.

His lawyer reported that he had left the prison, but no details were provided about the conditions of his release or where he would go next.

The case has been described as involving a “secret programme.” The available account does not explain how the man was selected for transfer to Eswatini or the legal basis for his detention there.

His release ends the reported period of imprisonment, though his immigration status and longer-term destination remain unclear.