Washington, D.C. — A federal judge has temporarily suspended the deportation of eight immigrants to South Sudan, a region ravaged by ongoing civil conflict. This development follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that had cleared the way for the Trump administration to proceed with the deportations.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that U.S. immigration officials are authorized to swiftly deport individuals, even if they have no ties to the countries to which they are being sent. The following day, in an exceptional Fourth of July hearing, District Judge Randolph Moss decided to transfer the case to Boston, assigning it to Judge Brian Murphy, who previously placed a hold on deportations to South Sudan. Judge Moss indicated that the complexities of the case warranted further examination by Judge Murphy.
Moss extended the hold on deportations until 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, leaving some uncertainty about whether any actions could be taken during the federal holiday. He noted that new arguments presented by the immigrants’ legal team warranted a careful review.
The eight men facing deportation hail from various countries, including Vietnam, South Korea, Mexico, Laos, Cuba, and Myanmar, and only one has connections to South Sudan. While all have been convicted of serious offenses, many are nearing the end of their sentences and hold official removal orders from the United States.
Attorneys representing these immigrants have warned of potentially dangerous conditions upon their return. The U.S. government currently advises against travel to South Sudan, highlighting that individuals should consider making funeral arrangements before visiting.
The administration’s efforts to deport these men have been ongoing for several weeks. After being transported to a U.S. naval base in Djibouti, authorities were stymied in their attempts to proceed with deportations due to Judge Murphy’s earlier ruling, which mandated that immigrants not be sent to new countries without the opportunity for a court hearing.
Last month, the Supreme Court overturned this ruling, and shortly thereafter, issued a new interpretation that allowed the potential deportation of the immigrants to South Sudan. In response, lawyers for the immigrants filed an urgent request to halt their removal that same evening.
After reviewing the case, Judge Moss momentarily barred the administration from transferring the immigrants from Djibouti to South Sudan pending his afternoon hearing. He later extended this temporary hold after sending the case to Judge Murphy. Government officials had anticipated flying the immigrants to South Sudan on Friday, but their fate now hangs in the balance as legal proceedings continue.