ICE’s Third-Country Deportation Scheme Is a Human Rights Nightmare

Here’s How We Fight Back.

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A leaked memo from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reveals something alarming: the Trump regime plans to deport immigrants to “third-party countries”—nations where people fleeing poverty and violence do not have citizenship, do not know anyone, and do not even speak the same language. Imagine yourself in that situation. The experience would be terrifying at best.

According to the memo, ICE intends to deport immigrants with as little as 24 hours’ notice—or just six hours in so-called “exigent circumstances.” In some cases, ICE does not even require a guarantee of safety from the receiving country. Immigrants can only access humanitarian protection screenings if they explicitly state they are afraid—within that tiny window. This process assumes they understand what is happening, have access to a lawyer, and know which language to use to express their fear for their lives.

This situation is happening because the Supreme Court issued a ruling that effectively green-lit these fast-track removals and stripped away court-ordered protections that once gave people a real shot at making their case.

So, what should we do now?

Now, we must organize. We have seen this playbook before, and we know how to fight back.

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Support the Legal Resistance

Across the country, organizations are challenging this policy in court. Legal nonprofits are filing class-action lawsuits on behalf of people who have already been targeted. However, they cannot do it alone. Please donate if you can, volunteer if you are able, and uplift their work. Legal defense remains one of the only lifelines in a system that seeks to end due process.

Pressure Congress

Republicans who voted for $150 billion in new funding for ICE and CBP are fueling these deportations. Call your representatives and demand that they vote no on mass deportation funding. Support candidates who believe in dignity, not detention. Ask them to pass legislation like the Fairness to Freedom Act, which would guarantee immigrants the right to legal counsel—because your right to defend yourself should not depend on your passport.

Protect Locally

States and cities still possess power. Push for sanctuary ordinances that prevent law enforcement from cooperating with ICE. Urge local officials to establish legal defense funds. Advocate for policies that keep immigrant families safe from being separated in the dark of night.

Join or Start a Rapid Response Network

Community-based groups document ICE activity, provide immediate legal referrals, and support families in crisis. These groups have served as a critical frontline defense, and they need reinforcements. If your area lacks such a network, now is the time to build one.

Educate, Accompany, and Show Up

Hold “Know Your Rights” trainings. Translate documents. Escort community members to court. Help families make emergency plans. Distribute Know Your Rights cards or flyers. Even the smallest action—such as standing outside an ICE check-in with a sign—can prevent someone from being taken. Visit Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD) for more information.

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We are confronting a system that relies on our silence and numbness. However, if we act together—with urgency, creativity, and compassion—we can disrupt it.

No one should be sent to a country they have never known.

No one should face the full force of ICE alone.

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