A judge in Eswatini did not appear for a scheduled court hearing on September 26, 2025, regarding the deportation of four men from the United States under the Trump administration. The absence has stalled legal proceedings challenging the legality of their expulsion and raised concerns about judicial independence in the African nation.
The four men-Ilmar Abrego Garcia and three others-were deported in 2020 after living in the U.S. for years, despite ongoing legal challenges to their removal. They allege they were unlawfully deported to Eswatini, a country where they have no ties, due to a previous agreement between the Trump administration and the Eswatini government to accept individuals who could not be deported elsewhere. The case centers on whether the deportations violated their rights to due process and protection against arbitrary exile.
Eswatini government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli declined to comment on the ongoing case. The next court date has not yet been set.
