As reported earlier, a federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the Trump Administration violated his court order when it deported seven illegal aliens to South Sudan.
US District Judge Brian Murphy, a Biden appointee, said the Trump Administration violated his court order to provide the aliens with “meaningful” due process since they were being sent to “third-party” countries.
Some of the aliens are from Laos, Vietnam, and Cuba, so sending them to South Sudan puts them in danger, attorneys argued.
Judge Murphy suggested Trump Admin officials may have committed contempt, but he stopped short of taking action.
Later Wednesday, Judge Murphy ordered the Trump Administration to give “reasonable fear” interviews to the criminal aliens deported to South Sudan.
Judge Murphy also ordered the US government to provide interpreters and counsel to the aliens during the interview.
“Each of the six individuals must be given a reasonable fear interview in private, with the opportunity for the individual to have counsel of their choosing present during the interview, either in-person or remotely, at the individual’s choosing. Each individual must be afforded access to counsel that is commensurate with the access that they would have received had these procedures occurred within the United States prior to their deportation, including remote access where in-person access would otherwise be available. Each individual must also be afforded the name and telephone number of class counsel, as well as access to a phone, interpreter, and technology for the confidential transfer of documents that is commensurate with the access they would receive were they in DHS custody within United States borders,” the judge wrote in his 2-page order.
Judge Murphy also said the US must maintain custody of the dangerous aliens during the process.
“During that 15-day period, the individual must remain within the custody or control of DHS, and must be afforded access to counsel that is commensurate with the access they would be afforded if they were seeking to move to reopen from within the United States’ borders,” the judge wrote.
The judge said the Trump Administration must provide the court with status reports on all six deported aliens every seven days.
“Defendants must provide status reports every seven days as to all six individuals. Should any individual move to reopen, the parties must also immediately provide a status report, and continue providing status reports every seven days thereafter, on the status of the motion to reopen,” the judge wrote.
DHS spox Tricia McLaughlin went off on Judge Murphy earlier Wednesday.
WATCH:
DHS officials confirmed that eight individuals convicted of violent crimes were placed on a deportation flight headed to South Sudan. An order from a federal judge directed the government to “maintain custody and control” of anyone deported to South Sudan. https://t.co/0fDDgDgutp pic.twitter.com/bmiONMQNmW
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 21, 2025
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