JUBA – In a complex international case, the South Sudanese government announced on Saturday that it has repatriated a Mexican national who was erroneously deported from the United States to the East African country in July.
The man, identified as Jesus Munoz-Gutierrez, was part of a group of eight individuals sent to South Sudan by U.S. authorities. The group had been held in government custody since their arrival, sparking a diplomatic and humanitarian situation.
According to reports, the deportees’ transfer to South Sudan was a clear error, as at least seven of the eight individuals were not South Sudanese nationals. Munoz-Gutierrez, a citizen of Mexico, is the first of the group to be successfully returned to his home country.
A statement from Juba confirmed that Munoz-Gutierrez was flown to Mexico on Saturday. Of the remaining seven, one individual—confirmed to be a South Sudanese national—has been released into the country. The fate of the six others, whose nationalities remain undisclosed, is still pending as they remain in custody while authorities work to verify their citizenships and arrange their repatriation.
This incident has raised significant questions about the U.S. deportation process and the vetting used to determine a deportee’s country of origin or citizenship. It highlights a rare but serious occurrence where individuals are sent to a nation with which they have no legal ties, leaving them in a legal limbo.
The governments of South Sudan, Mexico, and the United States are presumed to be involved in resolving the status of the six individuals still detained. No official comment has yet been released by U.S. immigration authorities on the erroneous deportation.
