Who: J. Jesus Muñoz Gutierrez, a Mexican national deported from the United States; When: Saturday, September 6, 2025; Where: Juba International Airport, South Sudan and then onward to Mexico; What: Muñoz was handed to Mexico’s ambassador-designate and flown home after being sent to South Sudan in May as part of a group of eight detainees; Result: South Sudanese officials described his departure as “smooth and orderly.”
Key takeaways
- J. Jesus Muñoz Gutierrez was repatriated to Mexico on September 6, 2025, following a press event at Juba International Airport.
- Muñoz had been among eight people deported from the US to East Africa in May 2025 and initially held in Djibouti.
- South Sudanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Apuk Ayuel Mayen confirmed Muñoz was released into the custody of Mexico’s ambassador-designate, Alejandro Estivill.
- Legal challenges and a US court interpretation in early July 2025 cleared the way for transfers to South Sudan.
- Six of the original eight deportees remain in custody in South Sudan; one South Sudanese national was released earlier, local officials say.
- The US government is coordinating similar deportation arrangements with Rwanda, Uganda and Eswatini.
Verified facts
South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a press briefing at Juba International Airport where spokesman Apuk Ayuel Mayen described the Sept. 6 departure as orderly and confirmed that Muñoz left the country in the custody of Mexico’s ambassador-designate, Alejandro Estivill.
Muñoz was among eight people the US deported to East Africa in May 2025. The group was diverted to Djibouti first, where they were reportedly housed in a converted Conex shipping container on a military base while legal proceedings continued.
Lawyers for the detainees had argued in federal court that sending them to South Sudan posed serious risks, citing the country’s persistent intercommunal violence since its 2011 independence. A Supreme Court ruling and a subsequent federal-court interpretation in Massachusetts in early July 2025 allowed the US government to proceed with transfers.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin publicly framed the legal outcome as an affirmation of the government’s position. South Sudanese officials say six of the eight remain in custody and that authorities are coordinating with the detainees’ home governments to arrange repatriations.
Context & impact
The episode highlights an uncommon US practice of coordinating deportations to distant African countries. Rwanda has agreed to take up to 250 migrants deported from the US under a separate arrangement; Uganda has signaled a more limited role; Eswatini has already received some deportees.
Human rights and immigration advocates warn that transferring people to countries with active conflict or fragile governance raises humanitarian and legal concerns. Lawyers for the men argued they could face unsafe conditions if sent to South Sudan, given its history of localized violence and instability.
For the US, such deportation arrangements alter the logistics and legal questions around immigration enforcement, potentially prompting more litigation and diplomatic negotiation with host countries in Africa and elsewhere.
Official statements
“I felt kidnapped when I was sent to South Sudan, but during my time here they treated me well,” Muñoz told reporters in Juba before departure.
J. Jesus Muñoz Gutierrez
“Law and order prevails,” said a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson after the courts cleared the transfers.
Tricia McLaughlin, DHS
Unconfirmed claims
- Muñoz’s characterization that he was “wrongfully” sent to South Sudan reflects his view; US authorities have not publicly conceded legal error.
- Specifics about the treatment and conditions inside the Djibouti holding site are based on reporting and legal filings but have not been independently verified by South Sudanese or US officials in full detail.
Bottom line
The repatriation of J. Jesus Muñoz to Mexico closes one chapter of a contested set of deportations that began in May 2025, but broader questions remain about the legal and humanitarian implications of sending migrants to countries with security challenges. Governments and courts will likely continue to face litigation and diplomatic negotiations as this policy pathway is tested.