A federal judge in Massachusetts has chastised senior Trump officials for failing to comply with his court orders regarding the deportation of migrants from the US to South Sudan. In a 17-page scathing order, US District Judge Brian Murphy rejected Trump’s request to amend or withdraw the earlier decision requiring the administration to keep six deported migrants in US custody.
Murphy ordered that the migrants remain in US custody at a military base in Djibouti until they can undergo a “reasonable fear interview” to explain any fears of persecution or torture. However, as of Monday night, these interviews had not taken place. The judge criticized Trump officials for attacking the courts and mischaracterizing the court’s order.
Murphy noted that he had attempted to strike a balance between due process protections under the US Constitution and the Trump administration’s wave of eleventh-hour removals and deportations. He allowed the Trump administration to keep the six migrants in South Sudan under US custody, provided they carry out the “reasonable fear interviews” and make a determination on whether the migrants’ concerns were adequate.
The judge also criticized the Justice Department’s seemingly fluid position on what constitutes adequate notice for removals. He cited DOJ attorneys who previously stated that 24 hours is sufficient and meaningful notice to remove certain migrants before breaking with that stance in removing the men to South Sudan.
Additionally, Murphy noted that class members had no access to counsel and did not receive information about their destination in South Sudan, a country with recent travel warnings due to crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict. The judge’s order is part of an ongoing attempt by federal courts to rein in the Trump administration as it continues to deport migrants to third countries.
The Supreme Court has previously ruled that the Trump administration has violated due process by failing to notify migrants of their imminent removals or afford them any opportunity to challenge their deportations in court.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-judge-accuses-trump-admin-manufacturing-chaos-south-sudan-deportations-escalating-feud