When a U.S. deportation flight landed in Manaus, a northern city in Brazil, authorities ordered American officials to “immediately remove the handcuffs” from passengers, according to a statement from Brazil’s Justice Ministry.
Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski informed President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of what he described as “the flagrant disregard for the fundamental rights of Brazilian citizens.” The Brazilian Foreign Ministry also announced via X (formerly Twitter) that it would request “explanations from the U.S. government about the degrading treatment of passengers” aboard the flight.
The government reported that 88 Brazilians were on the aircraft.
Among them was Edgar Da Silva Moura, a 31-year-old computer technician who had spent seven months in detention in the U.S. “On the plane, they didn’t give us water, we were tied hands and feet, and they wouldn’t even let us go to the bathroom,” he told AFP. “It was very hot, some people fainted.”
Luis Antonio Rodrigues Santos, a 21-year-old freelancer, described the experience as a “nightmare.” He said the plane’s air conditioning malfunctioned for four hours, causing distress among passengers, particularly those with respiratory problems. “Things have already changed [under Trump]; immigrants are treated as criminals,” he added.
The flight, originally scheduled to land in Belo Horizonte in southeastern Brazil, was diverted to Manaus due to technical issues.
A government source told AFP that the deportation flight was unrelated to any new immigration orders issued by President Trump, who took office Monday, but rather stemmed from a 2017 bilateral agreement.
Brazil’s Minister of Human Rights, Macaé Evaristo, said journalists were informed that “children with autism … who went through very serious experiences” were also on the flight.
Footage aired on Brazilian television showed passengers descending from the plane with their hands handcuffed and ankles shackled.
Upon learning of the conditions, President Lula directed the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) to mobilize an aircraft to transport the deportees to their final destinations, ensuring they could continue their journey “with dignity and safety,” the Justice Ministry said.
The incident comes amid President Trump’s intensified immigration enforcement efforts. On his first day in office, Trump signed orders declaring a “national emergency” at the southern U.S. border, deployed additional troops, and promised to deport “criminal aliens.”
While deportation flights occurred under previous administrations, the Trump administration has taken the unprecedented step of using military aircraft for some repatriation missions. For instance, a military plane landed in Guatemala earlier this week.
The flight to Manaus, however, was confirmed to be a civilian aircraft by AFP journalists on the ground.
A Brazilian government source noted that the deportees traveling to Manaus had their documents with them, suggesting they agreed to return voluntarily.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, there are an estimated 11 million undocumented migrants in the United States. On the same day as the Manaus flight, the U.S. expelled 265 migrants to Guatemala.