The Brazilian government has strongly criticized the United States after a deportation flight carrying 88 Brazilian nationals arrived in the northern city of Manaus with passengers reportedly in handcuffs.
According to the AFP, Officials in Brasília have called the treatment a violation of fundamental human rights and demanded an explanation from Washington.
“This is a flagrant disregard for the dignity and rights of Brazilian citizens,” Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski said in a statement, adding that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had been informed of the incident.
The passengers, including children and individuals with health challenges, were transported aboard a civilian aircraft that faced technical issues en route. According to eyewitness accounts, conditions on the flight were dire.
“We were tied hands and feet and denied access to the bathroom,” said Edgar da Silva Moura, a 31-year-old computer technician who had been detained in the U.S. for seven months. “It was unbearably hot, and some people fainted.”
Another deportee, Luis Antonio Rodrigues Santos, a 21-year-old freelancer, described the journey as “a nightmare,” adding that passengers with respiratory issues struggled for hours due to the plane’s faulty air conditioning.
The foreign ministry has called the use of restraints on the flight “degrading,” with officials ordering U.S. authorities to remove the handcuffs upon landing.
“We will seek formal explanations from the U.S. government regarding this treatment,” the ministry stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Footage broadcast by Brazilian media showed some passengers disembarking in shackles. The justice ministry later announced that a Brazilian Air Force plane was mobilized to transport the deportees to their final destinations.
“This was done to ensure their dignity and safety,” the ministry noted.
Reports indicate that the flight was part of a 2017 bilateral agreement between the two countries, unrelated to any recent immigration policies implemented by U.S. President Donald Trump.
However, the incident has heightened tensions amid regional concerns over Trump’s hardline stance on immigration during his second term.
Since returning to office, Trump has signed several executive orders prioritizing border security and deportations, declaring a “national emergency” at the southern border and expelling thousands of undocumented migrants.
Despite the backlash, U.S. deportation flights remain routine, with similar incidents recorded in other countries. However, Brazilian officials are emphasizing the need for humane treatment.
Minister of Human Rights Macaé Evaristo highlighted the presence of vulnerable individuals on the flight, including “children with autism who endured severe distress.”
With an estimated 11 million undocumented migrants currently in the U.S., deportations are expected to remain a contentious issue under the Trump administration’s immigration agenda
