• Jesus Munoz-Gutierrez, a Mexican, was repatriated by South Sudan after being deported from the U.S. in July.
• His deportation is part of a broader controversial U.S. immigration policy involving third-country removals.
• South Sudan assured Mexico that Munoz-Gutierrez would not face inhumane treatment upon return.

South Sudan announced it has successfully repatriated Jesus Munoz-Gutierrez, a Mexican national who was deported from the United States in July. He was one of eight individuals deported to South Sudan, where he had been in custody since his removal from the U.S. The repatriation was executed by South Sudan's foreign ministry in cooperation with the Mexican Embassy in Ethiopia, ensuring that the process adhered to "relevant international law, bilateral agreements, and established diplomatic protocols," according to CBS News, Al Jazeera, and Africanews.

As part of the repatriation, South Sudan received assurances from Mexico that Munoz-Gutierrez would not experience "torture, inhumane or degrading treatment, or undue prosecution" upon his return. Munoz-Gutierrez himself expressed feelings of being "kidnapped" when the U.S. sent him to South Sudan, explaining that he had not planned to go there and criticized the circumstances surrounding his deportation. He stated, "I finished my time in the United States, and they were supposed to return me to Mexico," according to Al Jazeera and Africanews.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has identified Munoz-Gutierrez as having been convicted of second-degree murder, receiving a life sentence prior to his deportation. This case reflects broader controversies surrounding the Trump administration’s policy of deporting migrants to third countries, a practice criticized by rights groups for potentially violating international law and migrants' rights. Additionally, while deportations continue to other countries like Uganda, Eswatini, and Rwanda, the legal status of these individuals upon removal remains uncertain, according to CBS News, Al Jazeera, and Africanews.