A coalition of lawyers filed a lawsuit on Thursday asserting that Costa Rica has breached the rights of 81 minors deported from the United States. The suit claims that the children, held for almost two months in potentially harmful conditions, experienced violations of international child rights regulations. This legal action seeks to pressure Central American countries to confront the immigration policies of the Trump administration, which has aimed to facilitate mass deportations by engaging neighboring nations.
The lawsuit was brought before the UN committee that oversees the Convention on the Rights of the Child, enabling claims against countries like Costa Rica, which has adopted additional responsibilities under this treaty. Ian Kysel, a law professor and co-founder of the Global Strategic Litigation Council, noted that while the UN panel can issue recommendations, enforcement ultimately relies on Costa Rica’s compliance and accountability from the international community.
The backdrop to this legal action involves the arrival of 200 deportees from various non-Western Hemisphere countries, including China and Iran, on two flights from the U.S. in late February. After their arrival, the deportees, including the 81 children, were transported to a remote facility near Panama's border, where they await the opportunity to either return home or seek asylum in another country.
