DHS Calls New York Times Report of ICE Abuse Against Africa-Bound Deportees a 'Hoax'

The New York Times reported on August 30, 2026 that 10 deportees described being abused or witnessing abuse by ICE officers during removal flights to African countries with which they had no ties, part of third-country deportation deals the administration has negotiated with roughly 35 nations, including Liberia. Cuban migrant Leonardo Sánchez, 49 — previously granted protection from removal to Cuba by a U.S. immigration judge and part of the first group deported to Liberia under a September 2025 agreement — said agents forced him and three others onto the tarmac in Monrovia after they refused to disembark, pulling them by their handcuff chains, pinning them to the floor, and pressing knees into his surgically-repaired, protruding abdomen; he said he was kept shackled for hours on the flight from Louisiana and was not allowed to use a toilet. The Times reported additional allegations of denied medical care for pregnant women and severe overcrowding, with up to 50 detainees sharing a single toilet. DHS dismissed the reporting on X as 'another hoax about ICE detention' by the Times, stating 'NO ONE is being tortured, denied medical care, or beaten in ICE detention facilities,' and said such coverage has fueled an 8,000% increase in threats and a 1,300% increase in assaults against ICE officers.