Trump administration deports men to South Sudan, lawyers say
Their removal violates a judge's order from April that requires migrants to be allowed due process before their deportation, lawyers said.
The Department of Homeland Security didn't immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
In filings, Jacqueline Brown, lawyer for a man from Myanmar, said DHS tried to deport him to Libya on May 7. He had been told in 2023 to leave the country.
A May 19 DHS notice of removal said he'd be deported to South Africa, before officials updated it a few minutes later to say he'd be deported to South Sudan.
On May 20, Brown said her client was no longer in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody at the Port Isabel Detention Center in Texas. An 8:36 a.m. email from a detention officer to Brown then said the man had been removed to South Sudan.
Later that morning, a separate email from the wife of one detained Vietnamese man, held in the same Port Isabel facility, said her husband's removal order indicated he would be sent to Vietnam. Then she learned he'd also been deported to South Sudan. The group, she said, includes people from Laos, Thailand, Pakistan, Korea and Mexico.
It's not clear whether the men will remain in custody in South Sudan or will be allowed to go free there.
South Sudan, located in East Africa, has been embroiled in several civil wars, most recently from 2013 to 2020.
The country has had political violence and instability since then, with civilian deaths, abductions and displacements as recently as 2024, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. South Sudan has one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, the council said.
Lawyers for the men filed an emergency motion to temporarily block their removal to South Sudan. The administration failed to allow them to apply for protection to the United Nations Convention Against Torture to prevent them from being removed to South Sudan, lawyers said.
Federal District Judge Brian Murphy of Massachusetts set a hearing for 11 a.m. on May 21 to review the emergency motion.
(This story has updated to add new information.)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
2 hours ago
- NBC News
How a city in Nebraska is recovering after the state's largest worksite immigration raid
Immigration The city of Omaha is trying to forge ahead following the raid's chilling effect on the local workforce and the community at large. June 15, 2025, 6:00 AM EDT By Nicole Acevedo OMAHA, Nebraska — Every seat in the waiting area of Glenn Valley Foods was occupied with people filling out job applications early Thursday afternoon, two days after the meatpacking plant became the center of the largest worksite immigration raid in the state of Nebraska so far this year. Dozens of prospective employees, many of them Spanish speakers, had been coming in and out of the plant all day. Some were hoping to land a new job; others were coming in for training. The scene gave the company's president, Chad Hartmann, a glimmer of hope amid the chaos that ensued after Tuesday's raid purged roughly half of his staff — many of whom had been longtime employees of the company, which has been processing boxed beef for more than 15 years. Hartmann had never seen or experienced a raid before. He is finding out in real time that 'there's no playbook' on how to move forward after one, Hartmann told NBC News. The process of re-hiring new workers, Hartmann said, feels like asking someone to replace a family member. 'You cannot, in my mind,' he said. 'They were part of our family, and they were taken away.' Seventy-six people working at Glenn Valley Foods were arrested by federal immigration authorities Tuesday morning, the Department of Homeland Security told NBC News in an email. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the arrests were part of an enforcement operation to execute a federal search warrant in connection to an investigation into ' the large-scale employment of aliens without legal work authorization.' As of Friday night, criminal charges had not been filed against those arrested in the raid. About a dozen of them have already been deported or transferred out of state. At least 63 others were taken to the Lincoln County Detention Center. The county's sheriff, Jerome Kramer, said none of the detainees are 'violent offenders' and he hopes to help them 'complete the process to correct their work status and reunite them with families or employers.' Samantha Santiago, who owns a business selling accessories in South Omaha's predominantly Latino business district, said many of the detained people were her customers. 'There are just too many families who were affected,' she said in Spanish, adding that some of people in the community canceled " quinceañeras" and baptisms planned for this weekend because 'the sadness is too deep.' The raid happened on the same week John Ewing officially took office as the first Black mayor of Omaha. Ewing, a Democrat, defeated Republican incumbent Jean Stothert in last month's election. At the same time, anti-ICE demonstrations have been raging across the nation in cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, New York and Philadelphia — protesting the tactics being used when conducting raids and immigration enforcement actions. 'It's a collective effort, as a community, to both mourn together and also try to find solutions together for everybody,' Douglas County Commissioner Roger Garcia, the first Latino to occupy that position, told NBC News. Douglas County, where Omaha is located, is one of just two counties in Nebraska that went blue during the 2024 presidential election. The state as a whole is largely considered a Republican stronghold. Nevada Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, issued a statement in support of the raids and signed a proclamation Friday to activate the National Guard as a precautionary measure ' in anticipation of anti-ICE protests ' this weekend. In a news conference Wednesday, Ewing said that he does not support workplace raids and Omaha police would not, as a normal course of business, ask people about their immigration status. The dueling points showcase the source of nationwide tensions as Americans grapple with President Donald Trump's actions to fulfill his campaign promise of mass deportations. On Friday, over 500 people protesting Omaha's immigration raids peacefully marched to Charles Schwab Field, where the College World Series — the city's biggest sporting event — was kicking off. 'It is big for tourism in Omaha,' Juan Elizondo, one of the protest's lead organizers, told NBC News. 'The nation here with us — being there present, and letting them hear us, I think is more impactful.' A diverse crowd of demonstrators, from children and young people to older adults, were mostly dressed in white to show peace, though a handful of them even dressed in work uniforms to symbolize immigrants' contributions. Most of them held signs, upside down American flags signaling distress and Latin American flags to represent some of the people's heritage. Dozens of other people driving by honked at the demonstrators and placed flags outside their car windows to show support. The march marked the first time Elizondo, 32, had organized a protest. As an Omaha native and a son of Mexican immigrants, Elizondo said, he felt compelled to step up after he saw that the main message of the protests across the nation was being marred by instances of violence. 'This is definitely an extreme moment in the community,' he said. 'It's gotten a lot more political.' Reeling from the aftermath News of the ICE raid this week sent a crippling, chilling effect across the city. The local library and community college closed early on Tuesday. Construction sites and other workplaces have been desolate. South Omaha's business district, known as a vibrant Hispanic and immigrant enclave, shut down immediately after the raid. As of Friday, some had reopened. About a third of the remaining staff at Glenn Valley Foods showed up to work on Wednesday, with many staying home because they still felt afraid or traumatized, resulting in a roughly 20% drop in production that day, according to Hartmann. As more of the remaining employees showed up Thursday morning — most still reeling from the stress caused by the raid — workers and employees held a meeting. Hartmann described the meeting as a combination of 'tough love' and even passionate disagreements, as people tried to make sense of what happened and find a way to move forward. About 80 employees were at the plant processing meat early Friday afternoon. At the South Omaha business district, a popular Mexican bakery reopened Friday and welcomed dozens of customers taking home pastries for Father's Day weekend. Three hair stylists sat outside their empty salon. They said this weekend tends to be busy for the business, but many of their immigrant customers were not coming in because they were still afraid to be out in public following the raid. Santiago was back at her store Friday after taking a couple of days to process what was happening around her. During those two days, Santiago said she would cry unprompted 'every five minutes.' To find comfort, she went to church and prayed. Scrolling on social media, Santiago saw GoFundMe pages, raffles and other efforts to raise funds for the families affected by the raids. She said some are struggling to afford legal fees and immigration attorneys as well as keep up with family expenses without their spouse's income. Looking for a way to help, Santiago had the idea to take a portion of the proceeds from her bestselling item — the popular Labubu dolls — and donate them to the affected families. Commissioner Garcia's family is among those directly impacted by the raids. His wife's aunt was among the 76 people who were taken into immigration custody. Her son was able to speak with her on Wednesday at around 1 a.m. and learned she was being taken to an immigration processing center in Omaha. Currently, she is at a state detention center elsewhere. 'A lot of these individuals have been here for many years, if not decades, raising a family here, have citizen children and family members here, and they don't fit that profile of being the high-level criminals that are supposed to be the priority for immigration enforcement,' Garcia said. Grappling with a system that 'needs to be repaired' Wrapping and loading boxes of product into trucks, processing meat, maintaining the intricate machinery and repairing and cleaning the plant: these are some of the jobs, Hartmann said, that workers at Glenn Valley Foods do to ensure the meatpacking plant passes strict Safe Quality Food audits and inspections from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Hartmann explained some of these jobs require rigorous safety training; 'it takes skilled people that take pride in what they do,' he said. The company's president said they have continuously used E-Verify as part of their hiring process. The system is operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration to let employers know if a prospective employee has legal authorization to work in the U.S. Every employee at Glenn Valley Foods, including those who were detained by ICE, has been approved through E-Verify, Hartmann said. When he told this to DHS during the raid, an agency official described the system they operate as flawed and easy to cheat. Now, as he hires a new workforce, Hartmann has no other alternative but to continue using E-Verify system to screen employees, he said. 'That system doesn't capture a solution if somebody's got a fake ID. That's what needs to be repaired.' Garcia said that limiting immigrants' ability to remain in the country legally is what often pushes people to 'borrow' or 'make up' false identifications. It is for the 'sole purpose of working and nothing else, because there has been no other way for them to adjust their status and work under their own proper name or identification.' 'But our comprehensive immigration reform efforts have not gone through yet, unfortunately. And it's still badly needed,' García said. In researching alternatives for E-Verify with guidance from Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., DHS and federal authorities, Hartmann said the options he was presented included temporary work visa programs such as H-1A — meant for industries dealing with workforce shortages — and H-2B, for nonagricultural jobs. But because these immigration programs are for seasonal workers, 'it doesn't fit our needs,' Hartmann said. Saying goodbye to workers every six months is 'not building a business.' Hartmann wishes government officials would consider creating a limited period of amnesty for undocumented people who 'meet certain qualifications' such as never having committed a crime, a desire to work, pay taxes and be part of the community. This could be a temporary remedy for people looking to get legal immigration status, he suggested. While that might not be the answer to the larger immigration issue, he said it's 'some version that makes sense.' 'There should be no problem with that,' Hartmann said, 'to just stop the bleeding, stop the problem.' A new generation of residents speak out Elizondo organized Friday's protest with the help and support of other more experienced Latino and immigrant rights advocates. A group of them met on Thursday afternoon at a downtown Omaha restaurant to plan the demonstration. They shared advice on how to work with local law enforcement to ensure the protests remained peaceful and focused on how immigration raids are hurting their communities, the community activists said. 'That has made the new generation speak up,' Rosa la Puente, one of the advocates mentoring Elizondo, said about the recent events. Many in the community are questioning the timing of the Omaha raid, wondering if the city was targeted for political reasons. When asked about this at a news conference on Wednesday, Ewing said, 'I don't know why Omaha was targeted.' For young Omaha residents like Elizondo and Jennifer Reyna, 29, the issue feels personal. Elizondo said he was inspired to step up after he saw his mother's leadership, consoling co-workers at James Skinner Baking, a local baking manufacturer, who were paralyzed with fear following the raid. 'It breaks your heart,' he said. Reyna, who attended Friday's protest, said they want their voices heard beyond Omaha. 'Everyone at this point in time in the community is afraid and is extremely upset,' Reyna said. Amid a feeling of helplessness, "we're trying to live normal, hardworking lives in this country that we do love,' she said. Nicole Acevedo Nicole Acevedo is a national reporter for NBC News and NBC Latino.
Reuters
15 hours ago
- Reuters
Trump administration gutted program aimed at preventing targeted violence
WASHINGTON, June 14 (Reuters) - The Trump administration gutted a program that aimed to prevent targeted violence as part of its sweeping bid to downsize the federal government, a move that could come under fresh scrutiny after the deadly shooting of state lawmakers in Minnesota on Saturday. The Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, works to reduce violent extremism through intervention programs in schools, workplaces and government offices. William Braniff, a former director of the office who resigned in protest in March, said the office went from having 45 full-time staff and several dozen contract workers to just a handful of employees currently. The Trump administration has prioritized combating illegal immigration while shrinking other DHS offices, a factor Braniff cited. "DHS is drastically reducing everything that is not related to border and immigration security," he said. The current head of the office is Thomas Fugate, a 22-year-old former Trump campaign worker who did not appear to have previous experience with countering terrorism and violent attacks, ProPublica, opens new tab reported earlier this month. DHS and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A gunman posing as a police officer killed a senior Democratic state assemblywoman and her husband on Saturday in an apparent "politically motivated assassination," and wounded a second lawmaker and his spouse, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and law enforcement officials said.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
JD Vance threatened to deport him. The ‘menswear guy' is posting through it
Derek Guy was a relatively unknown menswear writer with 25,000 followers on Twitter in 2022. Now, in 2025, Guy has 1.3 million followers on the platform, now called X, where this week both the vice-president of the United States and the Department of Homeland Security posted threats to deport him from the US – the country he has called home since he was a baby. 'Honestly didn't expect this is what would happen when I joined a menswear forum 15 years ago,' Guy quipped on X on Monday. 'Was originally trying to look nice for someone else's wedding.' The threats targeted at Guy, a fashion writer known for lampooning the sartorial decisions of rightwing figures, including JD Vance, marked another alarming escalation in the White House's ongoing project to mass deport millions of immigrants – raising the prospect of an administration wielding deportation as a weapon of retribution against its critics. But Guy's story also laid bare the transformation of X. In a few short years, the platform has become a place where Maga and other far-right influencers not only rule the roost, but can see their trollish posts perhaps dictate policy. X may now be a sincerely dangerous place for some users to post their thoughts. It all started with Elon Musk. After taking over Twitter in 2022, the world's richest man oversaw the implementation of an algorithmic 'for you' tab that pushed content from a bizarre array of influencers on users. Through a fateful quirk in the algorithm, Guy was among the platform's new main characters, his incisive commentary about men's fashion suddenly ubiquitous on people's feeds. Guy, who got his start years earlier commenting in menswear forums before launching a blog called Die, Workwear!, was suddenly being profiled in GQ and interviewed by Slate. Everyone started calling him the 'menswear guy'. Musk later rechristened Twitter as X, further loosening moderation on the platform, and restoring the accounts of users previously banned for bigotry or harassment. X became even more of a far-right haven, with white supremacist and neo-Nazi accounts risen from the dead. Meanwhile Guy was frequently going viral, namely for posts teasing prominent Maga figures for their ill-fitting suits – bringing attention to the wrinkles on Trump's trousers, and the 'collar gaps' on Stephen Miller's suit jackets. By 2025, of course, Trump and Miller were back in the White House, pursuing a campaign promise to 'remigrate' millions of everyday people out of America. In recent weeks they appeared to ramp up this ethno-nationalist project, with disturbing footage emerging online of masked, heavily armed Ice and DHS agents abducting Latino people from schools and courthouses, or kidnapping them off the streets, often separating them from their children. Guy felt compelled to stand up and be counted. In a long post on X, he recounted his family's harrowing story of escaping war in Vietnam, a journey that ended with his mom carrying him across the US border while he was still an infant. Guy revealed that he was one of millions of undocumented people living in the US. 'The lack of legal immigration has totally shaped my life,' he wrote. 'It has made every interaction with the law much scarier. It has shaped which opportunities I could or could not get. It has taken an emotional toll, as this legal issue hangs over your head like a black cloud.' He was sharing his story to 'push back against the idea that all undocumented immigrants are MS-13 members', he wrote. 'I know many people in my position and they are all like your neighbors.' Guy's post sent far-right influencers on X into a feeding frenzy. 'JD Vance I know you're reading this and you have the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever,' a user named @growing_daniel wrote about Guy's announcement. (@Growing_Daniel appears to be the founder of a tech startup called Abel, that uses artificial intelligence to help police write up crime reports.) Vance did see the post, replying with a gif of Jack Nicholson, from the movie The Departed, slowly nodding his head with an intense, menacing look. A short time later, the official account of the Department of Homeland Security joined the fray. The federal agency quote-tweeted a post from another far-right account, which noted Guy's undocumented status, with a gif from the movie Spy Kids, showing a character with futuristic glasses that can zoom in on a subject from a great distance. The message to Guy was clear: we're watching you. Vance and DHS did not respond to the Guardian's requests for comment about the posts. Prominent far-right figures were ecstatic. 'IT'S HABBENING,' posted Jack Posobiec, a Maga operative with more than 3 million followers on X. Michael Knowles, the prominent Daily Wire pundit, posted a photo of El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, wearing a blue-and-white sash over his suit jacket. 'Hey @dieworkwear,' Knowles wrote to his one million followers, 'what are your thoughts on this outfit?' The subtext of Knowles's tweet was also clear: Bukele has partnered with the Trump administration to hold immigrants deported from America, with no due process, in El Salvador's most notorious gulag. Guy was aghast at the response. 'The cruelty in today's politics feels horribly corrosive,' he wrote. 'Bringing up that hard-working immigrant families — undocumented, yes, but not violent criminals — are being ripped apart based on immigration status doesn't bring compassion or even pause, but gleeful cheers.' Longtime critics of X pointed to the deportation threats as evidence of the platform's perils. '...It's been turned into a political weapon for people who wish to use it to harm others,' noted journalist Charlie Warzel, the author of a recent Atlantic essay arguing for people to abandon X. 'It's not the marketplace of ideas - you do not have to participate in this project! very simple!' For now, Guy – who politely declined to comment to the Guardian about this week's saga – is still on X, using all of this week's attention for what he sees as good causes. 'ICE raided a downtown LA garment warehouse, arresting fourteen garment workers,' he wrote. 'Many of those detained were the primary breadwinner for young children and elderly relatives. Would you consider donating to help these families?' He also took time to taunt those calling for his deportation. When an account belonging to a luxury wristwatch dealer chastised him for 'disrespecting' immigration laws, Guy responded with a one-thousand word history of how the flow of immigrants and refugees across borders over the past two centuries led to the creation of Rolex, among other luxury watch brands. He also replied directly to Vance's post threatening to deport him. 'i think i can outrun you in these clothes,' Guy wrote, posting a photo of the vice-president seated at a political conference, his ill-fitting suit pants riding up to his calves. 'you are tweeting for likes. im tweeting to be mentioned in the National Archives and Records,' Guy added. Guy then told the vice-president where immigration agents could find him: 'Here is my house,' the 'menswear guy' wrote, posting an image of a Men's Wearhouse storefront.
