Zohran Mamdani Condemns Uganda’s Deal to Accept U.S. Deportees, Calling It ‘An Assault on Human Dignity

By Remmy Bahati

At a crowded town hall in Brooklyn over the weekend, New York State Assemblymember and mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani denounced Uganda’s reported agreement to accept migrants deported from the United States under the Trump administration, calling the move “an assault on human dignity” and a dangerous precedent for global migration policy.

Speaking before a spirited audience at the “Fight Oligarchy” forum — an event also featuring Senator Bernie Sanders, Mamdani said Uganda’s involvement in the deportation scheme “turns human beings into bargaining chips” and aligns the East African nation with policies that “dehumanize the most vulnerable.”

“We cannot allow our governments to trade in people’s pain,” Mamdani said, responding to a question from a Ugandan journalist in the audience. “This is not diplomacy, it’s coercion disguised as cooperation.”

The remarks came days after reports surfaced that the United States had approached Uganda to receive migrants deported under a new federal removal policy. Ugandan officials have denied signing any formal agreement, although U.S. officials have stated that negotiations are ongoing.

Uganda’s Balancing Act

Uganda, long lauded by international agencies for hosting millions of refugees from neighboring conflicts, now faces growing scrutiny for its alleged willingness to participate in U.S. deportation operations.

In August, a senior Ugandan foreign affairs official told Reuters that no binding deal had been reached, citing limited infrastructure to support large-scale arrivals. However, human rights advocates argue that even considering such an arrangement risks legitimizing practices that violate international law.

“Third-country deportations sever people from their roots and rights,” said Maria Ayebare, a migration expert at Makerere University. “They reflect the increasing use of poor nations as political cover for harsh immigration policies in the Global North.”

A Political Flashpoint at Home

For Mamdani, the issue is more than diplomatic. It touches the core of his campaign message in New York City’s fiercely contested mayoral race: defending immigrant communities and challenging what he calls “state-sanctioned cruelty.”

The 33-year-old Democratic Socialist, the son of Ugandan political theorist Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair, has built a coalition of progressives around housing, policing, and immigrant justice.

But his outspoken criticism of U.S. and foreign governments has also made him a target. Earlier this summer, former President Donald J. Trump accused Mamdani of “undermining federal law” and threatened to have him arrested for interfering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. Mamdani dismissed the warning as “a threat to democracy itself.”

“When you challenge power, you invite backlash,” he told supporters Saturday. “But we have to decide whether we’re ruled by fear or by conscience.”

Global Repercussions

The Biden and Trump administrations have both explored third-country deportation deals as a way to manage record migration levels at the southern border. Uganda’s potential participation, analysts say, would mark a significant expansion of the practice beyond Latin America and the Caribbean.

Legal experts warn the policy could face international challenges, particularly if migrants are sent to nations with which they have no prior ties or legal status. “It raises profound questions about consent, due process, and sovereignty,” said Dr. Jean Paul Rwomuhangi, a Ugandan-born attorney specializing in refugee law.

For now, Uganda insists no migrants have been transferred, and no flights are planned. Still, Mamdani’s condemnation underscores the issue’s resonance in immigrant-rich New York, and its potential to shape both local politics and international debate.