The Trump administration has allegedly begun deporting individuals from Myanmar and Vietnam to South Sudan, despite a federal court order restricting such transfers, according to court filings from immigration attorneys.
Lawyers representing the migrants claim that as many as a dozen people from several countries may have been removed to Africa without receiving the legally mandated opportunity to argue that deportation to a third country could endanger their lives. These actions, the attorneys argue, directly violate a previous court ruling requiring a “meaningful opportunity” for individuals to contest removal to nations outside their country of origin.
One confirmed case involved a man from Myanmar whose removal was detailed in an email from a Texas immigration official. According to court documents, he was informed of his deportation solely in English—a language he barely speaks—and his legal team received notice of his scheduled flight only hours in advance. In a separate account, a woman reported that her Vietnamese husband and approximately ten other individuals were flown to Africa early Tuesday morning, according to attorneys with the National Immigration Litigation Alliance.
The legal team has now requested an emergency order from U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy to halt any further deportations. Judge Murphy, appointed by President Joe Biden, previously ruled that removing individuals to countries such as Libya without sufficient notice would violate legal protections—a precedent that applies to others who have exhausted their appeals. The Department of Homeland Security and the White House have yet to comment on the reported removals.
Because certain countries refuse to accept deportees from the United States, the Trump administration has pursued controversial third-country agreements to house migrants elsewhere, including arrangements with Panama. In the past, Venezuelans have been sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador under an obscure 18th-century wartime law that is still being contested in U.S. courts.
South Sudan, where these latest deportations reportedly occurred, remains gripped by conflict and instability. Since gaining independence in 2011, the country has endured waves of violence. Just weeks ago, U.N. officials warned that renewed fighting between rival factions risks escalating into another full-scale civil war.
The U.S. State Department’s 2024 report flagged serious human rights violations in the country, including killings, torture, and gender-based violence. Although some South Sudanese nationals in the U.S. have been granted Temporary Protected Status, Secretary Kristi Noem recently extended that protection only through November, citing the need for further review.
This article contains reporting by The Associated Press.
This is developing news and will be updated as more information is available.
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