A federal judge has found that the Trump administration “unquestionably” violated a court order by quickly deporting immigrants to South Sudan. US District Judge Brian Murphy issued the ruling, which requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide access to counsel and a private fear interview with at least 72-hour notice for individuals facing deportation.
The judge’s decision is seen as one of the strongest rebukes against President Trump’s deportation agenda, which has tested the powers of the executive over the judiciary. Murphy ordered DHS to report on each individual every seven days and gave them discretion whether to return the individuals to the US or carry out the process abroad in DHS custody.
The judge criticized the government for not giving enough time for eight immigrants from various nationalities to contest their removal before they were deported to South Sudan early Tuesday. The 17-hour window was deemed insufficient, leaving the individuals with no meaningful opportunity to object.
Immigration attorneys had accused the Trump administration of violating a court order by deporting immigrants from Myanmar and Vietnam to South Sudan. The judge ruled that sending undocumented immigrants to countries they’re not citizens of would “clearly violate” an earlier order against such removals.
The decision comes as the Trump administration is stepping up its hardline immigration policy, including deporting people to third countries with harsh prison conditions.
Source: https://www.axios.com/2025/05/21/trump-immigrants-deported-south-sudan-violation