Judge blocks immigrants' deportation to South Sudan one day after Supreme Court clears the way
District Judge Randolph Moss proceeded with the extraordinary Fourth of July hearing on Friday afternoon, directing the Trump administration to discuss whether a prior Supreme Court ruling that immigrants slated for removal under an 18th century wartime act invoked by President Donald Trump deserve due process might also apply to those due to be removed to South Sudan.
The administration has been trying to deport the immigrants for weeks. None are from South Sudan, which is enmeshed in civil war and where the U.S government advises no one should travel before making their own funeral arrangements. The government flew them to Djibouti but couldn't move them further because a Massachusetts court had ruled no immigrant could be sent to a new country without a chance to have a court hearing.
The Supreme Court vacated that decision last month, then Thursday night issued a new order clarifying that that meant the immigrants could be moved to South Sudan. Lawyers for the immigrants, who hail from Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam and other countries, filed an emergency request to halt their removal later that night.
The case was assigned to Moss, who issued his order to let the government respond and 'to provide time for a hearing.' That hearing was happening Friday afternoon.
The temporary stay was first reported by legal journalist Chris Geidner.
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Global News
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How Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill' impacts Canada and the clean energy push
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Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The Laborers' International Union of North America, home to half a million American and Canadian workers, echoed those fears after the U.S. Senate passed what ended up being the final version of the bill on Tuesday. Story continues below advertisement 'This bill eradicates thousands of good-paying LIUNA jobs — jobs that were promised, planned, and already underway,' general president Brent Booker said. 'These solar and wind projects weren't abstract policy ideas — they were real job opportunities for real people across every part of our country for the next seven years. Now, all projects that have not started construction within one year — a year marked by economic fragility and supply chain insecurity — will never break ground and our members will never work on them.' 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Paramount pays Trump $16 million over Kamala Harris' CBS interview
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