Judge no‑show halts Eswatini hearing on U.S. deportees
A court hearing in Mbabane, Eswatini, on Sept. 25, 2025, regarding the detention of four men deported from the United States failed to proceed after Judge Titus Mlangeni did not appear. The detainees — nationals of Cuba, Laos, Vietnam and Yemen — were sent to Eswatini in mid‑July under the Trump administration’s third‑country deportation program; advocates say the men have been held without charges or access to counsel and allege repeated delays by Eswatini authorities.
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Judge fails to appear for court hearing in Eswatini over 4 men deported from the U.S. by Trump administration
New information:
- Four men deported from the U.S. (origins: Cuba, Laos, Vietnam, Yemen) remain detained at Eswatini’s maximum‑security prison after a mid‑July transfer under the U.S. third‑country deportation program.
- A scheduled Sept. 25, 2025 court hearing in Mbabane was delayed because Judge Titus Mlangeni failed to appear; no reason was given.
- One of five originally deported to Eswatini — a Jamaican national — was repatriated last weekend; U.S. authorities have sent more than 30 people to several African countries under the program since July.