New ICE memo suggests migrants could be deported without protections from torture in third countries

Every single day, Trump’s administration continues to level up its treatment of undocumented immigrants. From the looks of it, Alligator Alcatraz is only the beginning. As the daughter of two immigrants myself, this issue resonates deeply with me.

In my opinion, no person is legal on stolen indigenous land. Let’s review what this memo entails and what you can do to take action.

VIA Los Angeles Times

According to a new policy memo from ICE, which was issued on July 9th and is “effective immediately,” it has the following: a guideline for ICE employees on how to deport people to areas outside of the country they are from and “in exigent circumstances,” even if there is a risk of persecution or torture where they ship them to. In some cases, the deportations happen with just six hours’ notice from the time of arrest.

So, for example, if you are an immigrant from Mexico, they are allowed to ship you to a country you have no affiliation with (like El Salvador, where they would likely put you in a maximum security prison).

To clarify, although there has been a lot going on, this represents a significant step up from anything they have done so far. This gives authorities the whole green light to abduct, deport with no due process, and ship off to any country they feel like they want to send the migrants to.

This is an astronomical display of human rights violations, point blank period. We wouldn’t have even known about this memo if we didn’t have access to court filings.

Within the memo, the acting ICE director, Todd Lyons, wrote that “in all other cases” where the US has not received diplomatic assurances from the country of origin, ICE will be required to follow specific procedures. This includes the ICE officer serving the immigrant with a notice of removal, which lists the country that the government chooses to deport them to (a language that the immigrant understands). Still, they are not required to ask whether the person is afraid of getting sent to that country and are required to wait at least 24 hours before the removal.

According to Lyons, in “exigent circumstances,” the officer is allowed to deport the immigrant in as little as six hours, provided the person is given reasonable means and opportunity to speak with an attorney.

We need to remember that although the memo states that it applies in “exigent circumstances,” that does not matter. How do these agents decide who qualifies in that? What if every immigrant they come across, they just claim that it was a circumstance where they had to deport them in six hours to a random country with no assurances that they wouldn’t get tortured there?

The immigrants who this memo will likely impact are those who have been given final orders of removal; however, a judge has found they will still be at risk of persecution or torture if deported from the US. The other group of migrants this will impact is those who come from countries with a lack of diplomatic relations, like Cuba or Iran.

It’s important to note that this memo comes from a Supreme Court ruling in June that allows the Trump administration to deport migrants to countries they have no previous connections to.

What you can do

Contact or email your representative in Congress and your Senator. Click HERE to find your representative in Congress and HERE to find your Senator.

Template for call:

Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [City, State]. I’m calling to express deep concern about the new ICE memo that allows for the deportation of immigrants to third countries without reliable safety assurances and sometimes with as little as six hours’ notice.

This policy risks sending people to places where they could be tortured or persecuted, and it violates due process and fundamental human rights.

I urge [Senator/Representative Name] to speak out publicly, call for congressional hearings, and support legislation to stop these dangerous deportations.

Will [he/she] take action to oppose this policy? Thank you.

Template for email:

Subject: Urgent Action Needed: Stop Dangerous ICE Deportation Policy

Dear [Senator/Representative Last Name],

My name is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [City, State]. I’m writing to urge you to take immediate action against a new ICE policy that allows for the deportation of immigrants to third countries without credible assurances that they will be safe from torture or persecution.

This memo, issued July 9, authorizes deportations with as little as six hours’ notice, even in cases where the individual has no ties to the destination country and may face serious harm. It also allows removal based on vague "diplomatic assurances," which are often not credible and offer no legal opportunity for the deportee to challenge or review them.

This policy not only undermines the United States’ obligations under the Convention Against Torture but also denies individuals fundamental due process rights.

I urge you to:

• Publicly condemn this policy

• Call for immediate congressional hearings

• Support or introduce legislation that prohibits such deportations without individualized safety assessments

Thousands of lives may be at stake. Please stand up for human rights and the rule of law.

Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your City, ZIP Code]
[Your Email Address or Phone Number (optional)]

This memo is not just another policy update; it’s a clear escalation of a system already rooted in cruelty and dehumanization. It weaponizes bureaucracy to strip people of their rights, their safety, and in many cases, their lives.

If we stay silent, we become complicit.

Now is not the time for passive outrage. We must channel our anger into action. Call your representatives. Email your senators. Demand transparency, accountability, and legislation that protects the most vulnerable among us.

Because when human rights are at stake, neutrality is not an option.