Trump administration South Sudan deportation attempt violated court order, judge says
BOSTON/WASHINGTON - An attempt by President Donald Trump's administration to transfer migrants to South Sudan violated a judicial order not to send deportees to countries other than their own without opportunity to contest their removal, a U.S. judge said on Wednesday.
Boston-based U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy made the finding during a hearing one day after he issued an order that the administration not let a group of migrants being flown to South Sudan to leave the custody of U.S. immigration authorities.
Murphy said he would leave the question of any criminal penalties for Department of Homeland Security officials who violated his order to another day.
At the outset of the hearing, Justice Department lawyer Elainis Perez confirmed that the plane carrying the deportees had landed but did not say where, citing "very serious operational and safety concerns." Perez also disputed Murphy's finding that the migrants were not given the chance to challenge their deportations.
Earlier on Wednesday, Homeland Security officials said at a press conference that the eight men being deported are from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam and South Sudan, and were convicted of murder, armed robbery and other serious crimes.
South Sudan has long been dangerous even for locals. The U.S. State Department advises citizens not to travel there due to violent crime and armed conflict. The United Nations has said the African country's political crisis could reignite a brutal civil war that ended in 2018.
The migrants appeared to still be in U.S. custody. A U.S. official said at the hearing on Wednesday that they were currently sitting on a plane, but did not say where.
The case has echoes of other clashes between the administration and the courts in legal battles over the Republican president's aggressive immigration policies.
Washington-based U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has said the administration violated his order to not transfer Venezuelan migrants to a prison in El Salvador until he could hear a case challenging the legality of their deportations under a 1798 law historically used only during wartime.
Greenbelt, Maryland-based U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has said the administration has not adequately explained how it was complying with her order to "facilitate" the return of a Salvador man named Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported to El Salvador despite an earlier judicial order he not be sent there.
'VIOLENT INDIVIDUALS'
Trump took office in January pledging to deport millions of immigrants who are in the United States illegally. His administration has sought to send harder-to-deport migrants to "third countries" that are not their home country.
"We conducted a deportation flight from Texas to remove some of the most barbaric, violent individuals illegally in the United States," Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told reporters before the start of Wednesday's hearing. "These are the monsters that the district judge is trying to protect."
While McLaughlin did not confirm South Sudan as the intended destination, a department advisory for the press conference was titled "DHS Press Conference on Migrant Flight to South Sudan."
The effort prompted a legal challenge by immigrant advocates who said the affected migrants were not being given an opportunity to raise claims that they might be persecuted, tortured or killed if they are deported to countries not previously identified in their immigration proceedings.
Murphy, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, issued a preliminary injunction on April 18 designed to ensure that any migrants being sent a third country were provided due process under the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment and a "meaningful opportunity" to raise any fears for their safety. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
14 minutes ago
- Straits Times
US offers $13m reward for arrest of United Cartels leader
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Members of Mexico's federal forces escort prisoners wanted in the US for ties to drug-trafficking groups into a plane, on Aug 12. WASHINGTON - The United States offered a US$10 million (S$13 million) reward on Aug 14 for information leading to the arrest of Juan Jose Farias Alvarez, head of the Mexican drug trafficking group Carteles Unidos. Farias Alvarez, nicknamed 'El Abuelo', or the grandfather, was one of five high-ranking members of Carteles Unidos – United Cartels in English – whose criminal indictments were unsealed by the Justice Department on Aug 14. 'Today's charges are designed to dismantle the United Cartels and bring their leaders to justice for unleashing death and destruction on American citizens,' Attorney-General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. The US Treasury Department simultaneously announced it was imposing sanctions on members of United Cartels and another group known as Los Viagras. 'Treasury, alongside our partners in US law enforcement, will continue to target every effort by the cartels to generate revenue for their violent, criminal schemes,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. The State Department designated the Michoacan-based United Cartels and other drug trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organisations in February. Aside from Farias Alvarez, rewards of US$5 million each were announced for Nicolas Sierra Santana, known as 'El Gordo', and Alfonso Fernandez Magallon, known as 'Poncho', and US$3 million each for Luis Enrique Barragan Chavez, known as 'Wicho', and Edgar Orozco Cabadas, known as 'El Kamoni'. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 100 people being investigated for vape offences, say MOH and HSA Singapore Bukit Merah fire: Residents relocated as town council carries out restoration works Singapore askST: What to do in the event of a fire at home Singapore Jalan Bukit Merah fire: PMD battery could have started fatal blaze, says SCDF Singapore askST: What are the fire safety rules for PMDs? Asia AirAsia flight from KL to Incheon lands at wrong airport in South Korea Asia India and China work to improve ties amid Trump's unpredictability Singapore From quiet introvert to self-confident student: How this vulnerable, shy teen gets help to develop and discover her strength According to the Justice Department, United Cartels is a major supplier of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine to the US. 'Profits from US drug sales are allegedly used to acquire heavy weaponry, hire mercenaries, bribe local officials, and fund lavish lifestyles for cartel leaders,' it said. The announcement comes two days after Mexico transferred 26 wanted fugitives to the US, including several high-ranking members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel. The transfer was the second since Republican Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. In late February, Mexico sent 29 accused drug traffickers to the US, including Rafael Caro Quintero, who was accused of kidnapping and killing US drug enforcement special agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena in 1985. AFP
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Russia labels Reporters without Borders an 'undesirable organisation'
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Russia's justice ministry said on Thursday it had designated the French-based international press freedom organisation Reporters without Borders an undesirable organisation. Russia regularly labels organisations it says undermine its national security as "undesirable". The designation means Russian citizens working with or funding such groups face up to five years in prison. Previously designated organisations include U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, international environmental organisation Greenpeace and London-based Amnesty International. Founded in France in 1985, Reporters without Borders (RSF) advocates for journalists and against censorship worldwide. RSF did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The group ranked Russia 171st out of 180 countries in its World Press Freedom Index this year, and has listed 50 journalists who are detained in the country. REUTERS
Business Times
7 hours ago
- Business Times
Which Donald Trump will negotiate with Putin in Alaska?
[WASHINGTON] When US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Helsinki in 2018, the pair alarmed allies with a friendly encounter where Trump sided with the Russian leader over his own intelligence agencies on election interference. Trump flies to a meeting in Alaska with Putin on Friday (Aug 15) in a different public mood - impatient with the Russian's unwillingness to negotiate an end to his war in Ukraine and angry over missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. The world is waiting to see if it will be this tougher version of Trump who shows up in Anchorage or if it will be the former real estate tycoon who has sought to ingratiate himself with the wily former KGB agent in the past. The answer could have deep implications for European leaders concerned that Russia, if allowed to absorb parts of Ukraine, will be more aggressive toward Nato allies near Russia like Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. It matters even more for Ukraine, which has been losing ground to Russian forces after three-and-a-half years of grinding combat. Despite his harsher tone toward Putin over the past months, Trump has a more extensive history of trying to placate the Russian leader. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Trump declined to directly criticise Putin. The Russian president, shunned by multiple presidents, praised Trump for working to improve Russian-US relations. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Kremlin watchers are looking to see whether Trump will be enchanted by Putin again and swayed by his argument that Russia has a right to dominate Ukraine. 'It's a reasonable concern to think that Trump will be bamboozled by Putin and cut a terrible deal at Ukraine's expense,' said Dan Fried, a diplomat for several US presidents who is now at the Atlantic Council. But a different outcome is also possible, added Fried. 'There's a reasonable prospect that the administration will wake up to the fact that Putin is still playing them.' The Trump administration has sought to temper expectations, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters on Tuesday the meeting would be a 'listening exercise.' Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he might broker a second meeting that includes both Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy if the Alaska session goes well. Russia has given no indication it is prepared to make concessions amid Ukrainian worries that Trump might make a deal without their input. Zelenskiy says he would like to see a ceasefire first followed by security guarantees. When Trump assumed office again in January, the Republican president tried to revive the warmth between the two leaders from his first term, expressing sympathy for Putin's isolated position in the world and vowing to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. As the administration eased pressure on Russia, some Trump aides parroted Russian talking points to the dismay of Ukraine's backers. In March, US special envoy Steve Witkoff implied in a podcast interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that Russia had a right to capture four mainland regions of Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson - because 'they're Russian speaking.' And in a dramatic White House meeting in February, Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelenskiy for his handling of the war, to the delight of hardliners in Russia. Despite all the sweeteners, the Russian leader has refused to play along with Trump's efforts to steer the two sides into a peace deal. Putin has talked to Trump regularly but has kept up deadly bombing raids against Ukraine. The ongoing bloodshed prompted Trump to shift to a tougher stance in July and complain that Putin was stalling him. Trump has agreed to send new weapons to Ukraine – that Europe will pay for – and has threatened new financial penalties for Moscow. Trump last week imposed a 25% tariff on India for buying Russian oil – indirect pressure on Moscow – but has held back from following through on his threats to impose stiffer sanctions. On Wednesday, he threatened 'severe consequences' if Russia will not make a deal. 'While the tone coming out of the White House has shifted, it has not yet been followed up with an expansion of US sanctions – Trump's deadlines for additional sanctions keep getting pushed back – or new financial commitments from Washington to strengthen Ukrainian security,' said Nicolas Fenton, of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. On Monday, Trump said he should know within two minutes whether Putin is willing to make concessions. 'I may say, lots of luck. Keep fighting. Or I may say, we can make a deal,' he said. For Trump, who is drawn to the spectacle of a high-profile summit with the world watching, the lure of making a deal is strong. He has engaged in an open campaign for a Nobel Peace Prize this year, pointing to what he has claimed as his diplomatic victories, and has unnerved US allies with his eagerness for a Ukraine peace deal that they fret could embolden Putin. In recent days, Ukrainian and European leaders have protested Trump's assertion that Russia and Ukraine will have to engage in land swaps in order to reach a peace deal. While Russia occupies Crimea and large swaths of eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainians no longer hold any Russian territory, raising the question of what, exactly, could be exchanged. Trump insists that, given his personal relationship with Putin, he is the only one who can bring the war to an end. John Bolton, who was one of Trump's national security advisers in his first term and is now a sharp critic, said he was concerned that Putin was 'beginning to work his magic' on Trump. 'Personal relations obviously have a place in foreign affairs, just like they do in everything else. But when you're one of the world's hard men like Vladimir Putin, this is not a matter of emotion, this is a matter of cold calculation. Trump doesn't get that point,' Bolton said. In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump complained that 'very unfair media is at work on my meeting with Putin,' citing the use of quotes from 'fired losers' like Bolton. REUTERS
