Federal judge halts Trump administration's deportation flight to war-torn South Sudan hours before takeoff

Mint

18 hours ago

Federal Judge Randolph Moss issued an emergency order on July 4, 2025, temporarily blocking the deportation of eight migrants to South Sudan just hours before their scheduled 7 PM flight. The dramatic halt came less than 24 hours after the Supreme Court's conservative majority cleared the way for their removal, overriding a Boston judge's protections.
The men, from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Sudan and Vietnam, had been held six weeks at Camp Lemonnier, a U.S. military base in Djibouti, where they lived in converted shipping containers amid malaria risks and inadequate medical care.
Moss's order, expiring at 4:30 PM ET, allowed time to hear arguments that deporting them to a country where they have no ties violates their due process rights.
None of the eight men have connections to South Sudan, a country the U.S. State Department warns Americans to avoid due to rampant violent crime, kidnapping, and active civil war.
Their lawyers argued they could face "torture, imprisonment or death" upon arrival, citing UN reports of escalating violence and food shortages.
Though all had criminal convictions in the U.S., several had completed sentences and planned voluntary returns to their home countries before being rerouted.
The Trump administration claimed "credible diplomatic assurances" from South Sudan about their safety, an assertion immigration advocates dismissed, given the country's instability.
This case coincides with mass protests against Trump's immigration policies, with over 260 "Free America" demonstrations occurring nationwide.
In Los Angeles, nightly curfews continued after clashes between protesters and 700 Marines deployed by Trump, while New York police arrested 110 protesters outside immigration courts.
The "Shut Down ICE" movement saw rallies in 30+ cities, including Kansas City where hundreds blocked streets chanting 'Stop the deportations!'
These demonstrations intensified following ICE raids targeting Latino communities, causing several California cities to cancel July 4 celebrations over safety fears.
Judge Moss's intervention follows another landmark ruling on July 2, where he blocked Trump's "invasion" proclamation that banned asylum claims at the southern border.
That decision—applauded by ACLU lawyers as defending "Congress's power to pass laws"—found Trump lacked authority to create an 'alternative immigration system'.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court's 6-3 conservative majority has repeatedly backed Trump's deportation agenda, with Justice Sotomayor accusing colleagues of putting the administration "on speed dial" while 'rewarding lawlessness'.
These clashes highlight a fractured system where 250+ lawsuits challenge Trump's immigration orders.