US deports migrants to South Sudan amid legal controversy

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has come under legal and public scrutiny after deporting a group of migrants to South Sudan, in violation of a standing federal court order.

Court filings by attorneys representing the deported migrants reveal that a US government-chartered flight transported dozens of detainees — including individuals from Myanmar and Vietnam — from a detention centre in Texas to South Sudan, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The action reportedly occurred despite a March court injunction blocking such deportations. The deportations directly contradict an order issued by Brian Murphy, Judge from the US District of Massachusetts, which temporarily halted the removal of migrants who had exhausted all legal avenues to appeal their deportation. The judge explicitly barred the transfer of these individuals to third countries where they may face danger and be denied a fair chance to defend their rights.

According to legal documents, confirmation of the deportation was provided via email by an ICE official. The migrants' attorneys are now urging the court to issue an emergency order mandating the immediate return of those removed from US soil. Judge Murphy's ruling emphasised the potential for serious harm, stating that individuals facing deportation must be granted the opportunity to demonstrate how their removal could endanger their lives or well-being.

By Naila Huseynova