Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court ruled that the government must release Asian migrants deported by the Trump administration and held in a temporary shelter since February. The majority decision (4-3) found that the Costa Rican government had violated the migrants’ rights by not providing timely information about their immigration status or access to legal counsel. The court noted that free media contact was also restricted and no information was given about the possibility of requesting asylum. Costa Rica has 15 days to assess the migrants’ legal situations individually.
The deported migrants—200 in total, including nearly 100 children—were sent to Costa Rica on two flights, coming from countries like China, Afghanistan, and Russia. They were housed in cramped, poorly ventilated conditions at the Temporary Migrant Care Center (CATEM). As of Tuesday, 28 migrants remained at CATEM, including 13 minors; most had already been repatriated or sought asylum.
Costa Rican authorities described the court’s ruling as an error, asserting that the migrants had freedom of movement within the center. This ruling stemmed from a habeas corpus petition filed by former Minister of Communications Mauricio Herrera, highlighting rights violations against minors. In April, Costa Rica granted humanitarian status to the migrants after a lawsuit by human rights lawyers.
The decision to accept the deported migrants stemmed from fear of retaliation by the U.S. administration, as expressed by President Rodrigo Chaves and Foreign Minister Arnoldo André Tinoco, who cited concerns over potential economic repercussions if they refused.
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