The Trump administration deported eight migrants to South Sudan, according to a Department of Homeland Security official, after the administration had to halt their deportation to a base in Djibouti.
The plane landed in South Sudan just before midnight on Friday.
The eight migrants, who DHS has alleged have serious criminal convictions, were the subject of a lawsuit that had halted their deportation to South Sudan and diverted them to a U.S. military base in Djibouti.
The conditions at the base, according to court filings, were both challenging for the detainees and ICE officials who were tasked with watching them.
In an unsigned opinion, the Supreme Court explained that when it lifted judge-imposed due process requirements for third-country removals last month the government can no longer be held to account for allegedly violating the requirements.
One of the lawyers representing the group of men called their deportation to South Sudan "punitive and unconstitutional."
"Because of the Supreme Court's procedural ruling, these men were denied an opportunity to contest their deportations to South Sudan based on their fear of torture or death," said Trina Realmuto in a statement to ABC News. "The U.S. State Department warns Americans against all travel to South Sudan yet deported these men there without any due process. Make no mistake about it, these deportations were punitive and unconstitutional."
Posted by John3262005