A federal judge in the US has cautioned that President Donald Trump’s administration could be held in contempt of court for deporting migrants to South Sudan, potentially violating a court order.
Judge Brian Murphy stated that the removals might breach his April 18 ruling, which requires migrants to have a chance to challenge their deportation to countries other than their homelands.
Immigration attorneys claimed a flight carrying a dozen people landed in South Sudan, including citizens of Myanmar and Vietnam.
However, a Department of Justice lawyer said one migrant, a Burmese citizen, was returned to Myanmar, not South Sudan, while the whereabouts of a Vietnamese man were classified due to his murder conviction.
Judge Murphy ordered the migrants to remain in government custody and be treated humanely pending a hearing.
The US government’s travel advisory warns against traveling to South Sudan due to crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict.
This case is part of an ongoing constitutional clash between the Trump administration and the federal courts over mass deportations.
