ICE Agents and Detainees Stranded in Djibouti Amid Legal Battle

Nearly a dozen Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials and eight deportees have been stranded at Camp Lemonnier, a U.S. military base in Djibouti, East Africa, after a judge blocked their removal to South Sudan. The group is now confined in a makeshift detention center inside a shipping container, facing risks from disease, extreme heat, poor air quality, and potential rocket attacks.

Why It Matters

The unusual situation stems from a legal battle involving Massachusetts District Judge Brian Murphy, who barred ICE from deporting the group but allowed their temporary detention overseas at the Trump administration's request. The standoff highlights growing humanitarian concerns over U.S. immigration policy and the treatment of deportees.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer looks on during an operation in Escondido, California, on July 8, 2019. (Gregory Bull)

Conditions at Camp Lemonnier

• Detainees are held in a converted shipping container used as a conference room, lacking proper security measures.
• ICE officers share limited sleeping quarters (six beds in a trailer) and have restricted access to supplies.
• Temperatures exceed 100°F, and poor air quality from local burn pits has caused respiratory illnesses.
• Within 72 hours of arrival, both officers and detainees reported symptoms consistent with bacterial upper respiratory infections.
• Defense officials warn of potential rocket attacks from Yemen, with no body armor or protective gear provided.

Legal and Political Fallout

• The Trump administration blamed Judge Murphy for "stranding" ICE agents, despite requesting overseas detention.
• Judge Murphy accused the administration of "manufacturing chaos" by proposing overseas proceedings and then objecting to them.
• Advocacy groups, like Detention Watch Network, condemned the conditions as "heinous and enraging."
• The Department of Homeland Security claims the situation endangers both agents and detainees.

What People Are Saying

• Setareh Ghandehari, Detention Watch Network: "This is the latest move in Trump's shocking expansion of third-country deportations... attempting to normalize the offshoring of immigration detention."
• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: "Judge Murphy is forcing federal officials to remain in Djibouti... putting these agents' lives in danger."
• Melissa Harper, ICE: "The conference room... is not equipped nor suitable for detention of any length, let alone for high-risk individuals."

What Happens Next

The duration of the detainees' and ICE officials' stay in Djibouti remains uncertain. The case underscores ongoing disputes over due process and the treatment of non-citizens subject to deportation.

For more on ICE and U.S. military policies, visit Newsweek.