Federal Judge Rules Trump Administration Violated Court Order in Deportations to South Sudan

A federal judge in Boston, Brian E. Murphy, ruled that the Trump administration violated a court order by deporting eight immigrants to third countries without giving them a meaningful opportunity to object, specifically citing a flight linked to South Sudan. The immigrants, convicted of violent crimes, were given just hours' notice before deportation, preventing them from consulting lawyers. The deportees' home countries, including Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam, and South Sudan, refused to accept them, complicating their removal. The government argued that the immigrants had prior chances to express fears about deportation and that the judge's order did not specify exact timing requirements for notice. Administration officials criticized Judge Murphy as an "activist judge" interfering with national security and foreign policy, while ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons described the deportees as true national security threats. The case highlights tensions between judicial orders and immigration enforcement policies regarding deportations to third countries.