NewsHail
22 May 2025
A US judge says the deportation of eight men to South Sudan clearly broke his order. The order said migrants must get a chance to fight being sent to a different country.
Judge Brian Murphy spoke out on Wednesday. This came after a fast-moving legal fight. On Tuesday, he told US officials to keep the men in custody. He was worried they were sent away before they could speak up.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the men were dangerous criminals. Crimes included murder. DHS also said South Sudan was not their final stop.
In court, Judge Murphy said the deportations "clearly broke" his order. “I don’t see how anyone can say they had a real chance to object,” he said.
Lawyers for the Justice Department said the judge’s orders were not clear. They claimed it led to a “mix-up.”
A lawyer also said the plane had landed but would not name the place. They said safety was a concern.
The judge has not decided yet if he will punish DHS officials.
Earlier that day, DHS posted photos, names, and crimes of the eight men online. The men were from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, South Sudan, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the men had done “horrible” crimes. Crimes included murder, rape, and rape of disabled people. She said it was “absurd” for a judge to try to control US foreign policy or safety.
ICE Director Todd Lyons said if a country won’t take back its citizens, the US can send them to a safe third country. DHS has not said which countries might take them.
Judge Murphy made a rule on April 18. It said people must get a fair chance to speak up before being sent to another country.
When he found out the men were on a plane, he quickly held a hearing. He said the men had to stay in custody and be treated well. But he did not tell the plane to return.
The Trump administration is speeding up deportations. It is working with many countries to take back their people—or even people from other countries. For example, it sent some migrants from Venezuela to a prison in El Salvador.
Other countries like Rwanda, Benin, Angola, and Moldova may also help.
In April, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US is canceling visas for all South Sudanese. That’s because South Sudan won’t take back its deported citizens.
