By: TPA News Desk | editor@thepointafricanews.com

A recently issued memo by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) indicates that the agency may deport migrants to countries other than their own with as little as six hours’ notice, a significant shift in deportation policy that has drawn immediate criticism from immigration advocates.

The memo, issued by ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, outlines new guidelines following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that cleared the way for the resumption of deportations to third countries. While the standard notice for deportation is 24 hours, the memo specifies that in “exigent circumstances,” removal can proceed with only six hours’ warning.

This policy marks a departure from previous practices where migrants were rarely sent to third countries. According to reports, the memo suggests that deportations to third countries may occur even without “diplomatic assurances” of protection against torture or persecution from the receiving nations.

Immigration lawyers and advocates have warned that the accelerated deportation process and the possibility of removal to unfamiliar countries without safety guarantees could endanger thousands of individuals, including those who previously sought refuge in the U.S.

Trina Realmuto, head of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, which is challenging the Supreme Court ruling, stated that the new policy “puts thousands of lives at risk of persecution and torture.” Critics argue that the brief notice period does not allow migrants sufficient time or legal access to contest potentially dangerous removals.