A U.S. federal judge has warned that the Trump administration could be held in contempt of court after deporting a group of migrants to South Sudan, potentially violating a court order. Judge Brian Murphy had previously ruled that migrants must be given a “meaningful opportunity” to challenge deportation to third countries. However, immigration attorneys informed the court that a flight carrying around a dozen migrants, including individuals from Myanmar and Vietnam, landed in South Sudan despite this injunction.
Judge Murphy, a Biden appointee, expressed concern that his order may have been breached, describing the situation as possibly constituting contempt of court. A Department of Justice lawyer countered that one Burmese migrant was sent to Myanmar, not South Sudan, and declined to reveal where a Vietnamese man, convicted of murder, had been deported, citing classified information. The Department of Homeland Security also confirmed that at least one rapist was on the flight.
The judge did not order the flight to return but instructed that the deported individuals remain in custody and be treated humanely until a court hearing. He emphasized that his ruling, issued on April 18, prohibits deportations to third countries without due process. Concerns were heightened after a detainee disappeared from the ICE database and was later confirmed to have been removed.
This deportation to South Sudan—considered dangerous by the U.S. government—has sparked outrage. The Trump administration has reportedly approached several countries, including Rwanda and Benin, about accepting deportees. The case marks another constitutional clash between the judiciary and executive branches, echoing a similar recent case involving Venezuelan deportees, where officials were also accused of violating a court order.
