Eight men deported from the United States in May, after being held under guard for several weeks at a US military base in Djibouti while their legal challenges were processed, have arrived in South Sudan. This is the destination the Trump administration intended, despite a US State Department advisory against travel to the war-torn nation due to “crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict.”
The group, comprised of immigrants from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam, and South Sudan, reached South Sudan on Friday. Their relocation was enabled after a federal judge cleared the way, following a case that involved the Supreme Court, which had previously authorized their removal from the US.
Administration officials have stated that the men had previous convictions for violent crimes within the United States.
“This was a win for the rule of law, safety and security of the American people,” stated Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin in a statement, confirming the men’s arrival in South Sudan. The country is currently facing a volatile situation, with the risk of civil war re-emerging.
The Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday removed the final obstacle to the transfer of the men, who were initially placed on a flight to South Sudan in May.
The original flight was diverted to Djibouti, where the men were held in a converted shipping container, due to a ruling from a federal judge.
The judge determined that the administration had violated his order by not allowing the men an opportunity to challenge their removal.
In June, the court’s conservative majority ruled that immigration officials could expedite the deportation of individuals to third countries.
This ruling effectively halted an order that had allowed immigrants to challenge removals to countries outside their homeland where they faced potential danger.
A series of court hearings on Independence Day resulted in a temporary pause on the deportations. This allowed a judge to evaluate a last-ditch appeal before concluding that he lacked the authority to stop the removals. He determined that a Boston judge, whose previous rulings had initially halted the administration’s deportation efforts to South Sudan, was the appropriate authority to rule on the request.
By Friday evening, the Boston judge issued a brief ruling stating that the Supreme Court’s decision had limited his ability to intervene.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have stated that the men had final orders of removal.
Authorities have established agreements with other countries to accommodate immigrants in situations where prompt repatriation to their homelands isn’t feasible.
