**Stranded in Djibouti: Ice Officers and Deportees Face Health Crisis**

A group of men slated for deportation from the United States to South Sudan, along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers overseeing them, are stranded at a U.S. naval base in Djibouti after an American court halted their deportation flight. Both the deportees and ICE personnel have reported health issues since their arrival in late May.

The eight deportees, originating from Latin America, Asia, and South Sudan, along with 13 ICE staff, have been confined in a converted shipping container at the base. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the ICE officers began experiencing symptoms of what are suspected to be bacterial upper respiratory infections within 72 hours of landing.

Top DHS and ICE official, Mellissa Harper, has detailed the dire conditions in court statements. The detainees are being held in a shipping container, which has been repurposed as a conference room with the ICE officers sharing only six beds among 13 individuals. The group is dealing with frequent throat irritation from local burn pits, daytime temperatures regularly exceeding 100F (38C), and the risk of malaria due to a lack of preventive medication.

Adding to the peril, Harper revealed that the officers were warned of potential rocket attacks from terrorist groups in Yemen upon their arrival. The ICE team lacks body armor or suitable protective gear in case of such threats. They face additional security challenges due to limited lighting, which complicates visibility and heightens risks for both officers and detainees.

The Trump administration's attempts to deport the men, who include individuals from Myanmar, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, Mexico, and South Sudan, were thwarted when these countries refused to accept them. Consequently, U.S. authorities rerouted to send them to South Sudan. However, Judge Brian Murphy of the U.S. District Court in Boston, intervened, ruling that the administration had violated his earlier directive which granted the detainees the right to legally challenge their deportation to third-party countries.

The men are allowed one daily shower and must endure pat-downs and searches for each trip to the restroom, situated 40 yards from their holding container. As of now, proper medical testing to diagnose the illnesses afflicting both detainees and officers has not been conducted.