
Today in Focus ‘Like Amazon Prime but with human beings’: inside Trump’s deportation machine
Sep 26, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Maanvi Singh, an immigration reporter, and Oliver Laughland, Southern Bureau chief at Guardian US, uncover the dark world of Trump’s deportation machine. They detail the discovery of a secret deportation hub in Alexandria, exposing the harrowing experiences of detainees. The conversation covers how rapid transfers obstruct legal access, the complexities of family separations, and the dire conditions in El Salvador’s prisons. Their investigation reveals the chilling impact of these practices on immigrant communities and legal systems.
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From Van To Plane: A Detainee's Account
- A detainee described being packed into a van, shackled, transported to a runway and seeing hundreds chained on a plane.
Student Nearly Deported Over Politics
- Bader Khan Suri, a Georgetown postdoc targeted over political views, was nearly deported from Alexandria but released after legal intervention.
Limited Access Blocks Legal Help
- Lawyers struggled to reach clients in Alexandria; restricted access and limited phone contact obstructed legal counsel.







