The Brazilian government has strongly condemned the inhumane treatment meted out to 88 Brazilians who were deported from the United States. Here is a news report.
In 2023, the number of immigrants in the United States reached 47.8 million. This is 14.3 percent of the total US population. Mexico tops the list with 10.6 million people. Next in line are 2.8 million Indians and 2.5 million Chinese.
The US Department of Homeland Security has estimated that there are 11 billion illegal immigrants in the United States.
Trump, who took office as US President for the second time, called the influx of immigrants an invasion of the United States. He also declared a national emergency on the US-Mexico border and ordered the military to secure the area. In addition, he abolished birthright citizenship. Deportations of illegal immigrants have continued to intensify.
Of the illegal immigrants in the United States, 548 were arrested. More than 100 of them were deported. As a first step, 265 were deported to Guatemala.
The Mexican government refused to allow the plane carrying the deportees to land. Following this, the plane was turned back to Guatemala.
US President Trump has warned that strict action will be taken against Mexico soon.
Meanwhile, 88 deported Brazilians, along with 16 US military officers and 8 flight attendants, were scheduled to depart from the United States and land in Belo Horizonte. However, due to an unexpected technical problem, they were landed in the Manaus area.
Brazilian government officials were shocked to see the 88 Brazilians who had arrived and disembarked on the plane, their ankles tied with handcuffs. They ordered US officials to immediately remove the handcuffs.
The Brazilian Justice Ministry said that after watching the footage on television, President Lula ordered the dispatch of an air force plane to ensure the deportees had a dignified and safe journey.
The deportees alleged that they were handcuffed throughout the journey and were not given food or water.
They also said that many fainted during the several-hour journey due to the heat inside the plane.
The Brazilian government has condemned the inhumane treatment of Brazilians by the United States, saying that it violated the fundamental rights of their countrymen and that the US government would be held accountable for the incident.
In this context, US officials have explained that the deportation flight was not linked to the immigration order issued by President Trump and that it was the result of a bilateral agreement signed in 2017.
Trump has suspended refugee resettlement and warned that local law enforcement officials who refuse to enforce the new immigration orders will be prosecuted.
