Abstract
During the 1850s, the Kingdom of Sardinia—while presenting itself as a champion of liberal
ism and constitutionalism on the Italian Peninsula—carried out the forced removal of politi
cal exiles: individuals arrested for participating in uprisings or deemed threats to public order.
Between April 1853 and March 1855, three ships transported refugees from across the penin
sula to the United States. These deportations aimed to reinforce internal security, silence dis
sent, and signal to Austria the regime’s determination to suppress revolutionary movements.
Yet the arrival in New York of these refugees—none of whom had been formally charged or
convicted—provoked diplomatic controversy. The episode raised pressing questions about in
ternational law, the legal status of the deportees, and US immigration policy. Critics accused
Piedmont of attempting to turn the United States into a penal colony.