U.S. judge finds deportations to South Sudan violated his court order

U.S. judge finds deportations to South Sudan violated his court order

A U.S. District Judge in Boston has expressed concern that the Trump administration may have violated a court order by deporting migrants to South Sudan without providing them with a meaningful opportunity to challenge their removal. Judge Brian Murphy held a virtual hearing on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, to address the potential violations [1].

The judge had previously barred the Trump administration from swiftly deporting migrants to countries other than their home countries without first hearing any concerns they might have about their safety. This injunction was issued on April 18, 2025, to ensure migrants were provided due process under the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment [1].

During the hearing, Judge Murphy indicated that the deportations to South Sudan could constitute criminal contempt. He was weighing the possibility of ordering a plane carrying the migrants to turn around. The migrants, including individuals from Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Pakistan, and Mexico, were reportedly flown to South Sudan on Tuesday morning [2].

The judge had ordered the administration to provide written notice to migrants before removing them to a country not explicitly listed on their final orders of deportation and to give them a "meaningful opportunity" to raise any fears for their safety if sent there. Additionally, migrants who did not demonstrate a reasonable fear must be given at least 15 days to seek to reopen immigration proceedings to challenge their deportation [1].

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The agency has been instructed to review cases of people granted protections against being removed to their home countries to see if they could be re-detained and sent to a third country [1].

This incident marks a new clash between the federal judiciary and the Trump administration over its immigration policies. Judge Murphy's ruling is part of a broader trend of judicial pushback against the administration's hardline immigration agenda [2].

The situation in South Sudan has been described as dangerous, with the United Nations warning that the country's political crisis could reignite the brutal civil war that ended in 2018 [1].

References:
[1] https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-05-20/immigrant-rights-advocates-claim-us-violated-court-order-by-deporting-migrants-to-south-sudan
[2] https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-us-judge-says-deportations-to-south-sudan-likely-violate-court-order/