Judge Rules on Migrants Flight Controversy
A federal judge has determined that the Trump administration may have breached a court order by sending eight previously convicted violent criminals on a flight to South Sudan. This decision came to light during a hearing on Wednesday.
US District Judge Brian Murphy, appointed by President Biden in 2024, criticized the administration for not adequately ensuring due process for the migrants before putting them on the plane. He stated, “The actions of the department in this case certainly violate this Court’s order,” hinting at a possible criminal infraction by the White House.
Murphy argued that these eight individuals weren’t given a “meaningful opportunity” to contest their deportation, especially considering South Sudan’s reputation as one of the most perilous and unstable nations, marked by food scarcity, ethnic strife, and rampant violence.
While the White House claimed it was deporting “monstrous and wild” criminals to South Sudan, former President Trump suggested via social media that the US has actually detained them in Djibouti, a small Horn of Africa nation where US military bases exist.
“A federal judge in Boston knew absolutely nothing about the situation or anything like that, but ordered that the eight most violent criminals on the planet cut their journey to South Sudan and stay in Djibouti instead,” Trump wrote. “He didn’t allow these monsters to proceed to their final destination.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not disclosed the exact location of the men for “safety and operational security” reasons. South Sudanese officials have also stated that no foreign immigrants have reached the country.
Major General James Monday Enoka, a spokesperson for South Sudan’s police, remarked that all foreign-born arrivals will be scrutinized to ensure they are reported to their respective countries.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin characterized the judge’s ruling as “confusing.”
Attorney Jonathan Ryan, who represents one of the migrants, Nyo Myint from Myanmar, mentioned that his client received two contradictory deportation notices just a day prior to the flight. “I don’t know where he is,” Ryan stated. “He was disappeared by the US government.” Myint has a history of being convicted for first-degree sexual assault in Nebraska.
South Sudan is often cited as one of the world’s poorest regions, riddled with ethnic conflict and an ongoing civil war.
The Trump administration has defended its deportation policy, with DHS deputy secretary McLaughlin dismissing the judge’s order as “crazy.”
“[Myint] sexually assaulted a woman with mental disabilities,” she noted, emphasizing his status as an illegal alien. “He’s one of the monsters trying to return to the US after an activist Massachusetts judge ordered his deportation.”
Todd Lyon, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), added that nations like Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam, and South Sudan have refused to accept these deported migrants, who are categorized as “true national security threats” due to their previous convictions involving serious crimes.
