The new U.S. President Donald Trump is not just stopping at making threats; his administration has also taken action to deport illegal immigrants. However, to say they have “taken action” would only partially reflect the truth. The Trump administration has forcibly deported illegal foreign nationals residing in United States back to their respective countries. Among these incidents, one involving Brazilian citizens, who were deported in handcuffs and chained like serious criminals, has sparked global controversy.
Trump has long claimed that everyone residing illegally in US is involved in criminal activities. Whether this act of chaining and deporting Brazilian illegal immigrants was an attempt to validate his claim or whether these individuals were genuinely involved in criminal activities in US remains unclear.
The scenes of Brazilians being deported resemble those from the colonial era, where slaves were bound in chains, or from movies where dangerous criminals are shown shackled hand and foot. The Trump administration’s approach of treating these Brazilians like slaves has ignited significant reactions worldwide. Brazil’s foreign ministry has strongly objected to this act by the United States, terming it a violation of human rights. Brazilian Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski has not only raised objections to the incident but has also informed President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva about it.
The incident of deporting Brazilian nationals in this manner occurred last Saturday. A total of 88 refugees were deported on a plane accompanied by 16 U.S. security personnel. The plane was scheduled to land at Belo Horizonte airport. However, due to a technical issue, it had to land at Minas Gerais airport. When the Brazilian citizens disembarked from the plane, it was seen that they had been handcuffed and their feet chained. Many Brazilians shared this scene on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), and family members, upon seeing their relatives’ dire conditions, broke down in tears.