Brazil Establishing Reception Center Following First Deportation Flight of Trump Administration
The government in Brasilia objected to the conditions Brazilian deportees faced on a recent deportation flight from the United States.
Brazil has announced its plan to establish a reception center for deported illegal immigrants from the United States after reports of poor conditions on a recent deportation flight. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known as Lula, approved the establishment of the reception center in Confins, a municipality in Minas Gerais state, as stated by Brazilian Minister of Human Rights and Citizenship Macae Evaristo in Brasilia.
Evaristo explained that the main goal is to “ensure that these passengers have good conditions for water, food, and even temperature, which was a major concern on the first flight.”
The decision to create the reception center stems from the belief that more deportees from the United States will be arriving following the first deportation flight that carried 88 deportees to Brazil over the weekend under the Trump administration.
Local media in Brazil reported that officials were worried about Brazilian deportees being handcuffed after an unplanned stop in Manaus due to technical issues with the aircraft. A Brazilian military plane eventually transported them to their destination, Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais, on Saturday.
The Brazilian foreign ministry sought answers from Washington regarding the treatment of Brazilian citizens on the recent deportation flight, mentioning issues like the use of handcuffs and chains, poor aircraft conditions, broken air conditioning systems, and other problems.
While the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency have not yet commented on the situation, it is unclear whether the deportees were under the Trump administration or the Biden administration.
Brazil is investigating the treatment of deportees on past flights and ensuring that future flights maintain humane conditions. Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski emphasized the importance of treating deported Brazilians with dignity. Brazil also clarified that it will not use its air force planes for deportations from the United States.
In the context of deportation flights, Brazil has taken note of the recent tensions between Colombia and the United States. After threats of trade disputes over deportation flights using military aircraft, Colombia and the United States narrowly avoided a potential trade war through diplomatic negotiations.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that a deal was reached with Colombia regarding the acceptance of deportees and visa restrictions on Colombian officials until the return of deportees to Colombia. The threats of tariffs are on hold as the two countries have come to an agreement.
(Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report).
