The Brazilian government, led by its socialist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is demanding answers after 88 of its citizens were deported from the United States in handcuffs on Friday.

The U.S. representative in Brazil, Gabriel Escobar, was summoned by the Brazilian government on Monday to provide clarifications about the treatment of the illegal immigrants, reported Brazilian media. Escobar assumed his position as Charge d’Affaires following the inauguration of President Donald Trump and is likely to remain in his role until an Ambassador to Brazil is appointed.

Handcuffing illegal immigrants on deportation flights has been standard practice by the U.S. government, including under the Biden administration, in order to ensure the safety for pilots and agents on flights. According to Brazilian media, the practice usually includes the handcuffs removal prior to landing in Brazil.

Some Brazilian leaders described the handcuffing during the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement flight as “degrading.” The Brazilian government accused the U.S. of violating treaties by using handcuffs during the flight.

“The indiscriminate use of handcuffs and chains violates the terms of the agreement with the US, which provides for the dignified, respectful and humane treatment of repatriates,” said Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Brazilian Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski said that “respect for the dignity of people and for fundamental human rights are values that must guide relations between civilized nations, especially in situations when vulnerable groups are involved.”

The flight reportedly had to make unscheduled landings in Panama and Manaus, Brazil, due to maintenance issues and was not given authorization to continue on its journey. Instead, the illegal immigrants boarded a Brazilian Air Force flight, which transported them to Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

The illegal immigrants also complained about a lack of air conditioning on the plane and allegedly harsh treatment. 

Carlos Vinicius de Jesus, 29, alleged in an interview with Folha de S.Paulo that he heard threats.

“They beat us, told us they’d crash the plane, that our government wasn’t worth a thing, that if we rebelled, we’d be killed,” Carlos Vinicius de Jesus, 29, said in an interview with a Brazilian outlet. Vinicius’s claims have not been verified.

The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States plans to hold an emergency session over the deportations, the Washington Post reported.

The deportations come as the Trump administration delivers on a campaign promise to deport illegal immigrants. So far, ICE has deported thousands of illegal immigrants including pedophiles, gang members and terrorists.

On Monday, the White House shared that Brazilian citizen Vitor De Sousa-Lima, who was convicted of vehicular manslaughter, was arrested by ICE Boston.

 

Expectations for a warm relationship between Lula and Trump are low, given the Brazilian president’s aggressive statements towards Trump. Lula has openly stated that he was rooting for Kamala Harris during the U.S. election and has pointed to Trump’s actions at the end of his first term as evidence of “fascism and Nazism coming back with a different face.”

Lula’s rival, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who has been nicknamed ‘Trump of the Tropics,’ was barred from attending Trump’s inauguration by the left-wing Brazilian Supreme Court that has been on a ruthless rampage to silence right-wing voices in Brazil.

The Daily Wire previously reported on the persecution of a senior aide to Bolsonaro, Filipe Martins, who was imprisoned for six months without trial by Brazilian Supreme Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes. Although Martins has since been released and has not faced trial or been convicted, he remains under draconian restrictions that forbid him from social media and interviews and place him under house arrest.

ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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​[[{“value”:”

The Brazilian government, led by its socialist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is demanding answers after 88 of its citizens were deported from the United States in handcuffs on Friday.

The U.S. representative in Brazil, Gabriel Escobar, was summoned by the Brazilian government on Monday to provide clarifications about the treatment of the illegal immigrants, reported Brazilian media. Escobar assumed his position as Charge d’Affaires following the inauguration of President Donald Trump and is likely to remain in his role until an Ambassador to Brazil is appointed.

Handcuffing illegal immigrants on deportation flights has been standard practice by the U.S. government, including under the Biden administration, in order to ensure the safety for pilots and agents on flights. According to Brazilian media, the practice usually includes the handcuffs removal prior to landing in Brazil.

Some Brazilian leaders described the handcuffing during the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement flight as “degrading.” The Brazilian government accused the U.S. of violating treaties by using handcuffs during the flight.

“The indiscriminate use of handcuffs and chains violates the terms of the agreement with the US, which provides for the dignified, respectful and humane treatment of repatriates,” said Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Brazilian Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski said that “respect for the dignity of people and for fundamental human rights are values that must guide relations between civilized nations, especially in situations when vulnerable groups are involved.”

The flight reportedly had to make unscheduled landings in Panama and Manaus, Brazil, due to maintenance issues and was not given authorization to continue on its journey. Instead, the illegal immigrants boarded a Brazilian Air Force flight, which transported them to Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

The illegal immigrants also complained about a lack of air conditioning on the plane and allegedly harsh treatment. 

Carlos Vinicius de Jesus, 29, alleged in an interview with Folha de S.Paulo that he heard threats.

“They beat us, told us they’d crash the plane, that our government wasn’t worth a thing, that if we rebelled, we’d be killed,” Carlos Vinicius de Jesus, 29, said in an interview with a Brazilian outlet. Vinicius’s claims have not been verified.

The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States plans to hold an emergency session over the deportations, the Washington Post reported.

The deportations come as the Trump administration delivers on a campaign promise to deport illegal immigrants. So far, ICE has deported thousands of illegal immigrants including pedophiles, gang members and terrorists.

On Monday, the White House shared that Brazilian citizen Vitor De Sousa-Lima, who was convicted of vehicular manslaughter, was arrested by ICE Boston.

 

Expectations for a warm relationship between Lula and Trump are low, given the Brazilian president’s aggressive statements towards Trump. Lula has openly stated that he was rooting for Kamala Harris during the U.S. election and has pointed to Trump’s actions at the end of his first term as evidence of “fascism and Nazism coming back with a different face.”

Lula’s rival, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who has been nicknamed ‘Trump of the Tropics,’ was barred from attending Trump’s inauguration by the left-wing Brazilian Supreme Court that has been on a ruthless rampage to silence right-wing voices in Brazil.

The Daily Wire previously reported on the persecution of a senior aide to Bolsonaro, Filipe Martins, who was imprisoned for six months without trial by Brazilian Supreme Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes. Although Martins has since been released and has not faced trial or been convicted, he remains under draconian restrictions that forbid him from social media and interviews and place him under house arrest.

ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“}]] 

 

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