Latest news with #JohnnySinodis
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Migrants, believed to be destined for Libya, sat on a bus for hours then abruptly returned to detention facility
In the early morning hours of Wednesday, a group of detained migrants were bused from a facility in Texas to a base where a military aircraft awaited them – at least one of them had been told he was destined for Libya, according to an account shared with his attorney. Johnny Sinodis, an attorney based in San Francisco, told CNN his Filipino client, who he didn't name due to privacy concerns, had been told Monday evening that he would be deported to Libya, raising alarm and leading him to try to understand why a migrant from the Philippines would be removed to a country in North Africa. Sinodis said his client had a removal order to the Philippines and anticipated being deported there in late April. That same month, he was moved to two detention facilities in Texas, ultimately being held at the South Texas ICE Processing Center and expecting to be removed to his native country. But early Wednesday, that appeared to take a turn. Sinodis' client, along with 12 other detainees, were loaded onto a big white bus, according to the account shared with Sinodis. They were taken to what his client described as a military plane and waited on the bus for hours. Eventually, the bus started rolling back to the detention facility, without explanation. Sinodis told CNN he's since been in touch with his client and tried to reach Immigration and Customs Enforcement for explanation. The military plane that was scheduled to bring migrants to Libya on Wednesday never departed, according to flight trackers and a defense official. Instead, the plane flew to Guantanamo Bay on Thursday, the defense official said. It held only military personnel being repositioned to the island after the Libya flight was canceled. The Trump administration appeared to be moving forward with plans Wednesday to send migrants to Libya, though the White House declined to comment on the flight plans. CNN first reported the administration was communicating with Libya to have the country take migrants from the United States. The episode reveals new details about how preparations unfolded for the migrants believed to be destined for Libya, including the lead up and abrupt fallout, as told by a migrant to his attorney moments after. The decision to send migrants to Libya, a country the United Nations has previously criticized for its harsh treatment of migrants, is a further escalation of President Donald Trump's hardline deportation policies – which have faced widespread political and legal backlash. Amid reports that a plane was positioned to depart, which the Libyan government disputed, a federal judge warned the administration it could violate his previous order if proper protocol wasn't followed. The Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement that it 'categorically denies any agreement or coordination with US authorities regarding the deportation of migrants to Libya.' CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment. Immigrant advocacy groups filed an emergency motion Wednesday to block the removal of any migrants to Libya, citing media reports and accounts from attorneys with clients believed to be manifested for the deportation flight. Last month, Judge Brian Murphy temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting people to countries other than their own without first providing notice and an opportunity to contest it. The groups, which brought the lawsuit in Massachusetts earlier this year, argued Wednesday the government didn't follow those procedures. 'Late last night and earlier this morning, alarming reports from class members' counsel and from the press emerged announcing the imminent removal of, inter alia, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Philippine class members being prepared for removal to Libya, a county notorious for its human rights violations, especially with respect to migrant residents. Class members were being scheduled for removal despite not receiving the required notice and opportunity to apply for (UN Convention against Torture) protection,' the filing said. The groups asked the court for an immediate order restraining flights carrying migrants to Libya or any other third country and if necessary, to order the return of those removed, according to the filing. Sinodis' client was cited in the filing. Murphy quickly weighed in. He issued an order the same day clarifying that deporting migrants to Libya or Saudia Arabia, as reported in the media, would violate his previous order if they were not provided written notice and an opportunity to contest ahead of time. 'The Department of Homeland Security may not evade this injunction by ceding control over non-citizens or the enforcement of its immigration responsibilities to any other agency, including but not limited to the Department of Defense,' Murphy wrote. 'If there is any doubt—the Court sees none—the allegedly imminent removals, as reported by news agencies and as Plaintiffs seek to corroborate with class-member accounts and public information, would clearly violate this Court's Order,' he concluded.
CNN
09-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Migrants, believed to be destined for Libya, sat on a bus for hours then abruptly returned to detention facility
In the early morning hours of Wednesday, a group of detained migrants were bused from a facility in Texas to a base where a military aircraft awaited them – at least one of them had been told he was destined for Libya, according to an account shared with his attorney. Johnny Sinodis, an attorney based in San Francisco, told CNN his Filipino client, who he didn't name due to privacy concerns, had been told Monday evening that he would be deported to Libya, raising alarm and leading him to try to understand why a migrant from the Philippines would be removed to a country in North Africa. Sinodis said his client had a removal order to the Philippines and anticipated being deported there in late April. That same month, he was moved to two detention facilities in Texas, ultimately being held at the South Texas ICE Processing Center and expecting to be removed to his native country. But early Wednesday, that appeared to take a turn. Sinodis' client, along with 12 other detainees, were loaded onto a big white bus, according to the account shared with Sinodis. They were taken to what his client described as a military plane and waited on the bus for hours. Eventually, the bus started rolling back to the detention facility, without explanation. Sinodis told CNN he's since been in touch with his client and tried to reach Immigration and Customs Enforcement for explanation. The military plane that was scheduled to bring migrants to Libya on Wednesday never departed, according to flight trackers and a defense official. Instead, the plane flew to Guantanamo Bay on Thursday, the defense official said. It held only military personnel being repositioned to the island after the Libya flight was canceled. The Trump administration appeared to be moving forward with plans Wednesday to send migrants to Libya, though the White House declined to comment on the flight plans. CNN first reported the administration was communicating with Libya to have the country take migrants from the United States. The episode reveals new details about how preparations unfolded for the migrants believed to be destined for Libya, including the lead up and abrupt fallout, as told by a migrant to his attorney moments after. The decision to send migrants to Libya, a country the United Nations has previously criticized for its harsh treatment of migrants, is a further escalation of President Donald Trump's hardline deportation policies – which have faced widespread political and legal backlash. Amid reports that a plane was positioned to depart, which the Libyan government disputed, a federal judge warned the administration it could violate his previous order if proper protocol wasn't followed. The Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement that it 'categorically denies any agreement or coordination with US authorities regarding the deportation of migrants to Libya.' CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment. Immigrant advocacy groups filed an emergency motion Wednesday to block the removal of any migrants to Libya, citing media reports and accounts from attorneys with clients believed to be manifested for the deportation flight. Last month, Judge Brian Murphy temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting people to countries other than their own without first providing notice and an opportunity to contest it. The groups, which brought the lawsuit in Massachusetts earlier this year, argued Wednesday the government didn't follow those procedures. 'Late last night and earlier this morning, alarming reports from class members' counsel and from the press emerged announcing the imminent removal of, inter alia, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Philippine class members being prepared for removal to Libya, a county notorious for its human rights violations, especially with respect to migrant residents. Class members were being scheduled for removal despite not receiving the required notice and opportunity to apply for (UN Convention against Torture) protection,' the filing said. The groups asked the court for an immediate order restraining flights carrying migrants to Libya or any other third country and if necessary, to order the return of those removed, according to the filing. Sinodis' client was cited in the filing. Murphy quickly weighed in. He issued an order the same day clarifying that deporting migrants to Libya or Saudia Arabia, as reported in the media, would violate his previous order if they were not provided written notice and an opportunity to contest ahead of time. 'The Department of Homeland Security may not evade this injunction by ceding control over non-citizens or the enforcement of its immigration responsibilities to any other agency, including but not limited to the Department of Defense,' Murphy wrote. 'If there is any doubt—the Court sees none—the allegedly imminent removals, as reported by news agencies and as Plaintiffs seek to corroborate with class-member accounts and public information, would clearly violate this Court's Order,' he concluded.
CNN
09-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Migrants, believed to be destined for Libya, sat on a bus for hours then abruptly returned to detention facility
In the early morning hours of Wednesday, a group of detained migrants were bused from a facility in Texas to a base where a military aircraft awaited them – at least one of them had been told he was destined for Libya, according to an account shared with his attorney. Johnny Sinodis, an attorney based in San Francisco, told CNN his Filipino client, who he didn't name due to privacy concerns, had been told Monday evening that he would be deported to Libya, raising alarm and leading him to try to understand why a migrant from the Philippines would be removed to a country in North Africa. Sinodis said his client had a removal order to the Philippines and anticipated being deported there in late April. That same month, he was moved to two detention facilities in Texas, ultimately being held at the South Texas ICE Processing Center and expecting to be removed to his native country. But early Wednesday, that appeared to take a turn. Sinodis' client, along with 12 other detainees, were loaded onto a big white bus, according to the account shared with Sinodis. They were taken to what his client described as a military plane and waited on the bus for hours. Eventually, the bus started rolling back to the detention facility, without explanation. Sinodis told CNN he's since been in touch with his client and tried to reach Immigration and Customs Enforcement for explanation. The military plane that was scheduled to bring migrants to Libya on Wednesday never departed, according to flight trackers and a defense official. Instead, the plane flew to Guantanamo Bay on Thursday, the defense official said. It held only military personnel being repositioned to the island after the Libya flight was canceled. The Trump administration appeared to be moving forward with plans Wednesday to send migrants to Libya, though the White House declined to comment on the flight plans. CNN first reported the administration was communicating with Libya to have the country take migrants from the United States. The episode reveals new details about how preparations unfolded for the migrants believed to be destined for Libya, including the lead up and abrupt fallout, as told by a migrant to his attorney moments after. The decision to send migrants to Libya, a country the United Nations has previously criticized for its harsh treatment of migrants, is a further escalation of President Donald Trump's hardline deportation policies – which have faced widespread political and legal backlash. Amid reports that a plane was positioned to depart, which the Libyan government disputed, a federal judge warned the administration it could violate his previous order if proper protocol wasn't followed. The Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement that it 'categorically denies any agreement or coordination with US authorities regarding the deportation of migrants to Libya.' CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment. Immigrant advocacy groups filed an emergency motion Wednesday to block the removal of any migrants to Libya, citing media reports and accounts from attorneys with clients believed to be manifested for the deportation flight. Last month, Judge Brian Murphy temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting people to countries other than their own without first providing notice and an opportunity to contest it. The groups, which brought the lawsuit in Massachusetts earlier this year, argued Wednesday the government didn't follow those procedures. 'Late last night and earlier this morning, alarming reports from class members' counsel and from the press emerged announcing the imminent removal of, inter alia, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Philippine class members being prepared for removal to Libya, a county notorious for its human rights violations, especially with respect to migrant residents. Class members were being scheduled for removal despite not receiving the required notice and opportunity to apply for (UN Convention against Torture) protection,' the filing said. The groups asked the court for an immediate order restraining flights carrying migrants to Libya or any other third country and if necessary, to order the return of those removed, according to the filing. Sinodis' client was cited in the filing. Murphy quickly weighed in. He issued an order the same day clarifying that deporting migrants to Libya or Saudia Arabia, as reported in the media, would violate his previous order if they were not provided written notice and an opportunity to contest ahead of time. 'The Department of Homeland Security may not evade this injunction by ceding control over non-citizens or the enforcement of its immigration responsibilities to any other agency, including but not limited to the Department of Defense,' Murphy wrote. 'If there is any doubt—the Court sees none—the allegedly imminent removals, as reported by news agencies and as Plaintiffs seek to corroborate with class-member accounts and public information, would clearly violate this Court's Order,' he concluded.
CNN
09-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Migrants, believed to be destined for Libya, sat on a bus for hours then abruptly returned to detention facility
In the early morning hours of Wednesday, a group of detained migrants were bused from a facility in Texas to a base where a military aircraft awaited them – at least one of them had been told he was destined for Libya, according to an account shared with his attorney. Johnny Sinodis, an attorney based in San Francisco, told CNN his Filipino client, who he didn't name due to privacy concerns, had been told Monday evening that he would be deported to Libya, raising alarm and leading him to try to understand why a migrant from the Philippines would be removed to a country in North Africa. Sinodis said his client had a removal order to the Philippines and anticipated being deported there in late April. That same month, he was moved to two detention facilities in Texas, ultimately being held at the South Texas ICE Processing Center and expecting to be removed to his native country. But early Wednesday, that appeared to take a turn. Sinodis' client, along with 12 other detainees, were loaded onto a big white bus, according to the account shared with Sinodis. They were taken to what his client described as a military plane and waited on the bus for hours. Eventually, the bus started rolling back to the detention facility, without explanation. Sinodis told CNN he's since been in touch with his client and tried to reach Immigration and Customs Enforcement for explanation. The military plane that was scheduled to bring migrants to Libya on Wednesday never departed, according to flight trackers and a defense official. Instead, the plane flew to Guantanamo Bay on Thursday, the defense official said. It held only military personnel being repositioned to the island after the Libya flight was canceled. The Trump administration appeared to be moving forward with plans Wednesday to send migrants to Libya, though the White House declined to comment on the flight plans. CNN first reported the administration was communicating with Libya to have the country take migrants from the United States. The episode reveals new details about how preparations unfolded for the migrants believed to be destined for Libya, including the lead up and abrupt fallout, as told by a migrant to his attorney moments after. The decision to send migrants to Libya, a country the United Nations has previously criticized for its harsh treatment of migrants, is a further escalation of President Donald Trump's hardline deportation policies – which have faced widespread political and legal backlash. Amid reports that a plane was positioned to depart, which the Libyan government disputed, a federal judge warned the administration it could violate his previous order if proper protocol wasn't followed. The Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement that it 'categorically denies any agreement or coordination with US authorities regarding the deportation of migrants to Libya.' CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment. Immigrant advocacy groups filed an emergency motion Wednesday to block the removal of any migrants to Libya, citing media reports and accounts from attorneys with clients believed to be manifested for the deportation flight. Last month, Judge Brian Murphy temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting people to countries other than their own without first providing notice and an opportunity to contest it. The groups, which brought the lawsuit in Massachusetts earlier this year, argued Wednesday the government didn't follow those procedures. 'Late last night and earlier this morning, alarming reports from class members' counsel and from the press emerged announcing the imminent removal of, inter alia, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Philippine class members being prepared for removal to Libya, a county notorious for its human rights violations, especially with respect to migrant residents. Class members were being scheduled for removal despite not receiving the required notice and opportunity to apply for (UN Convention against Torture) protection,' the filing said. The groups asked the court for an immediate order restraining flights carrying migrants to Libya or any other third country and if necessary, to order the return of those removed, according to the filing. Sinodis' client was cited in the filing. Murphy quickly weighed in. He issued an order the same day clarifying that deporting migrants to Libya or Saudia Arabia, as reported in the media, would violate his previous order if they were not provided written notice and an opportunity to contest ahead of time. 'The Department of Homeland Security may not evade this injunction by ceding control over non-citizens or the enforcement of its immigration responsibilities to any other agency, including but not limited to the Department of Defense,' Murphy wrote. 'If there is any doubt—the Court sees none—the allegedly imminent removals, as reported by news agencies and as Plaintiffs seek to corroborate with class-member accounts and public information, would clearly violate this Court's Order,' he concluded.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why Asian and Mexican immigrants, moments away from being deported to Libya, never left the U.S.
A Filipino immigrant detained in Texas described being woken up at 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday by armed guards in tactical gear, being told he was being sent to Libya, and then waiting for hours on a bus at a military base outside a military plane, his lawyer said. The flight never took off and he was sent back to solitary confinement in the Texas facility along with the other 12 detainees, mostly from Asian countries, the immigrant's lawyer, Johnny Sinodis, told NBC News. The immigrant requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation. The immigrants, including people from the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos and Mexico, would later learn that their attorneys filed an emergency motion after reports that the Trump administration had planned to send a group of immigrants to Libya. A federal judge then enforced a previous order Wednesday afternoon, halting deportations to third countries. Tin Nguyen, another immigration attorney whose client was aboard the bus, said that though the deportation was halted, many continue to be on edge over the possibility of being sent to a country that is unfamiliar to them and has been criticized for major human rights abuses. 'Libya or El Salvador or Rwanda … it's very scary for people,' Nguyen, who's based in North Carolina, said. 'People don't know anything about these countries, and what they have heard about them is very terrifying.' The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment on questions related to the deportation flight and legal motion. Last week, a judge granted a preliminary injunction, ruling that prior to removing any noncitizen to a third country, the Trump administration must take several steps to ensure they receive adequate due process. Sinodis said that his client had been told earlier this week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents that he was being sent to Libya. Days later, the detainees were given a few minutes to gather their belongings before being processed out of the facility, shackled and shuffled onto a bus, the attorney said. The detainees were eventually taken back to the facility and released to the facility's general population by the next morning. Sinodis criticized the process as both legally concerning and inefficient. Sending an immigrant from Mexico across the world, for example, makes little sense, he said. 'I mean how much money does it cost to send someone from Mexico to Libya?' he said. 'You can just drive someone to Mexico.' Nguyen recounted a similar chain of events, adding that his client, who's Vietnamese, had previously been threatened with the prospect of being sent to Libya. At one point, the detainee and others were ordered to sign a document agreeing to be deported to the country, according to the emergency motion filed on Wednesday, in which Nguyen's client is a plaintiff. 'He didn't read the document. He can't read [English] and it wasn't translated in Vietnamese, or through an interpreter. So he refused to sign,' Nguyen said. 'And because he refused to sign, he was separated from the other folks.' The emergency motion said that detainees who refused to sign off on the removal to Libya were put in separate rooms, 'cuffed in' and forced to provide their signatures for the document. After hours on the tarmac, Nguyen said his client called his wife. 'They were not intermingling with the general population or with each other, but they were able to make phone calls,' Nguyen said. Nguyen said it's unclear what will happen next, but his client would rather be sent back to Vietnam than a third country. 'This time around I'm helping folks speed up the process of actually trying to get the travel documents from Vietnam, so people can just go to Vietnam,' the attorney said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month at a Cabinet meeting that the United States is 'actively searching for other countries to take people.' 'We are working with other countries to say, 'We want to send you some of the most despicable human beings to your countries,'' Rubio said. ''Will you do that as a favor to us?' And the further away the better, so they can't come back across the border.' Reports of plans to send migrants to Libya drew backlash from immigration and humanitarian advocates. Libya has long been criticized for its treatment of migrants. The Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya, established by the United Nations Human Rights Council, found in its report from 2023 that it was likely that 'crimes against humanity were committed against Libyans and migrants throughout Libya.' The report documented examples of 'arbitrary detention, murder, torture, rape, enslavement, sexual slavery, extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearance, confirming their widespread practice in Libya.' The State Department's own website cautioned against traveling to Libya, classifying the country as under a Level 4, the highest advisory level due to a 'greater likelihood of life-threatening risks.' Libya's provisional Government of National Unity said on social media that it is not coordinating deportations with the United States and that it rejects using the country as a destination for deported immigrants without its knowledge or consent. 'The Government categorically denies the existence of any agreement or coordination with it regarding the reception of any migrants deported from the United States,' it said. This article was originally published on
