A federal judge in the United States has reportedly violated President Donald Trump’s administration’s injunction to deport migrants to South Sudan.
The Trump administration has been repeatedly criticized for ignoring court orders, but the announcement from US District Judge Brian Murphy on Wednesday sets up yet another judicial battle.
Judge Murphy, who lives in Boston, Massachusetts, has not yet disclosed what he will do in response to the glaring violation. That inquiry was put on hold until later.
However, he claimed that the passengers on Tuesday’s flight were not given enough time to file a deportation complaint, which was in violation of Murphy’s April 18 injunction.
A reasonable period of time had been granted to migrants who had been removed from their own country in a third-party country in order to challenge their deportations, according to Murphy’s ruling.
However, the Trump administration has repeatedly refuted claims that it will comply with policies’ arbitrary rules, instead branding judges like Murphy as “activists”.
Elainis Perez, a lawyer for Trump’s Justice Department, declined to confirm the location of the deportation flight during the court hearing on Wednesday, claiming that divulging the information raised “very serious operational and safety concerns.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also held a press conference to discuss the issue and support the deportation flight.
The passengers on board were accused of murder, armed robbery, rape, and sexual assault, according to acting ICE Director Todd Lyons.
Lyons remarked that “his country would not take him back” in the case of one immigrant. He referred to these nations as “recalcitrant.”
The removals were described as a “diplomatic and military security operation,” according to Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson.
She claimed that eight migrants had been deported alone for safety reasons and that they are still in DHS custody despite having actually left the US.
She continued, citing security concerns, adding, “We cannot tell you where these people will ultimately end up.”
However, she did mention the possibility that their lawyers had indicated in court filings that they might be currently in South Sudan.
She continued, “We’re confirming the fact that that’s not their final destination,” adding, “I would caution you to assume that their final destination is South Sudan.”
Lawyers for the migrants claimed their clients were from Myanmar, Vietnam, and other nations in the court filings on Tuesday. They added that their clients don’t understand their removal notices because they only understand it through a translator.
They allegedly received no more than 24 hours’ notice before being deported. She claimed on Tuesday morning that she was informed that her client had been taken to South Sudan, a nation with a turbulent history and a history of human rights violations, as one lawyer attempted to locate him.
Due to the possibility that the migrants might face dangers in the nations they were deported to, Judge Murphy had previously ordered the migrants to have at least 15 days to file a grievance.
He has also ruled that the US government must keep the migrants in its custody and ensure their safety while the hearings take place.
McLaughlin, however, claimed that the “activist judge” was “trying to protect” the migrants, who she described as “some of the most barbaric, violent individuals.”
It is absurd for a district judge to try to dictate the United States of America’s foreign policy and national security, she said.
McLaughlin and the other officials also claimed that the Trump administration was seeking to relocate these people to “safe third countries.”
Because of their barbaric and monstrous crimes, she claimed, “no country on earth wanted to accept them.”
We found a country that was willing to accept custody of these vicious illegal aliens thanks to the courageous work of the State Department, ICE, and the president’s national security team.
As part of its justification for its “mass deportation,” the Trump administration has been accused of raising concerns about immigration-related crime among its citizens.
