The Department of Justice (DOJ) is urgently requesting the Supreme Court to overturn a judge’s order that has disrupted the administration’s efforts to swiftly deport immigrants to countries where they lack any previous connections.
Legal Challenge to Rapid Deportations
Solicitor General John Sauer submitted an emergency appeal on Tuesday contesting a ruling by a federal judge in Boston. The judge found that the rapid deportations violated the rights of the immigrants involved. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy determined that the deportees were not adequately informed about their destinations and had minimal opportunity to express concerns about potential risks like torture or harm in those countries.
Trump Administration’s Controversial Move
This appeal comes in the wake of the Trump administration’s attempt to hastily deport seven men, all with prior serious criminal convictions, to conflict-ridden South Sudan with barely any notice. Judge Murphy intervened to halt these deportations and instructed the government to either keep the men in custody abroad or bring them back to the U.S.
Sauer has petitioned the Supreme Court to stay Judge Murphy’s ruling from April 18, which outlined specific procedures to be followed before executing so-called third-country deportations. It remains uncertain whether the requested stay would resolve the issues surrounding the individuals originally slated for deportation to South Sudan. These men are currently held at a U.S. military facility in Djibouti.
