A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration on Friday from deporting eight migrants to South Sudan, just hours before their scheduled removal.
The emergency order, issued by U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss, came one day after the Supreme Court cleared the way for the deportations, prompting a last-minute legal challenge from the migrants’ attorneys, Reuters reported. Only one of the men is a citizen of South Sudan, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). They have been held for weeks at a U.S. military base in Djibouti.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump‘s administration has sent immigrants to various nations other than their native countries amid efforts to deter illegal immigration.
The administration has been trying to deport the immigrants being held in Djibouti for several weeks. The men’s home countries include Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cuba and South Korea. DHS said they have been convicted of various crimes, including murder, robbery, kidnapping and sexual assault.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged U.S. citizens not to travel to the war-torn South Sudan due to crime, kidnapping and armed violence.
What To Know
The ruling was made at an emergency hearing on Friday, when courts were otherwise closed for the Fourth of July holiday.
The order prevented the federal government from moving the men until 4:30 p.m. ET. The administration had previously said it expected to fly the immigrants to South Sudan on Friday.
During the hearing, a lawyer for the U.S. said that court orders pausing the deportations would make foreign countries less likely to accept transfers of migrants going forward.
Another district judge previously ruled that an immigrant could not be sent to a new country without a chance to have a court hearing. The Supreme Court vacated that decision.
What People Are Saying
Moss, at a hearing: “It seems to me almost self-evident that the United States government cannot take human beings and send them to circumstances in which their physical well-being is at risk simply either to punish them or send a signal to others.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement: “These sickos will be in South Sudan by Independence Day. A win for the rule of law, safety and security of the American people. We thank our brave ICE law enforcement for their sacrifice to defend our freedoms.”
What Happens Next
Moss sent the case to Massachusetts District Court Judge Brian Murphy, the judge who initially halted the Trump administration’s effort to deport the eight immigrants. It is unclear whether Murphy will take further action on the holiday to limit the men’s removal.
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