Judge Defies Supreme Court Ruling on Deportations
In a striking act of legal defiance, US District Judge Brian Murphy declared on Monday evening that his previous order preventing the deportation of illegal immigrants to South Sudan remains intact, directly countering a recent US Supreme Court decision.
On the same day, the Supreme Court, in a narrow 6-3 ruling, permitted the Trump Administration to continue deportations of undocumented individuals to so-called ‘third-party’ nations. This ruling came after the Supreme Court granted an emergency application from the Trump Administration, effectively pausing Judge Murphy’s injunction against such deportations.
The dissenting voices among the justices included Liberals Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justice Sotomayor expressed her discontent by asserting, “Rather than allowing our lower court colleagues to manage this high-stakes litigation with the care and attention it plainly requires, this Court now intervenes to grant the Government emergency relief from an order it has repeatedly defied. I cannot join so gross an abuse of the Court’s equitable discretion.”
Last month, Judge Murphy, appointed by President Biden, criticized the Trump Administration for violating his orders, emphasizing the lack of “meaningful” due process for those being sent to third-party countries. Legal representatives argued that many of these individuals hail from Laos, Vietnam, and Cuba, thus sending them to South Sudan could expose them to perilous conditions.
Judge Murphy also insisted that the government must retain custody of these individuals during the legal proceedings and mandated the provision of interpreters and legal counsel during interviews.
In response to Judge Murphy’s ruling, President Trump voiced his frustration, noting that due to the judge’s actions, eight of the most dangerous criminals are currently being detained in Djibouti, a small nation on the Horn of Africa. Ironically, the US government lacks a formal detention facility there, resulting in 11 ICE agents holding these individuals in a makeshift setting within a converted shipping container at the US Naval base in Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti.
Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling, Judge Murphy reiterated his stance, stating, “The Court’s May 21, 2025 Order on Remedy remains in full force and effect, notwithstanding today’s stay of the Preliminary Injunction.” He referenced Sotomayor’s dissent, which argued that the District Court’s remedial orders were not appropriately before the Supreme Court, as the government had neither appealed nor sought a stay pending a forthcoming appeal.
Holy Crap! Judge sidesteps SCOTUS. pic.twitter.com/OEJsv7GhnR
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) June 24, 2025
The federal agents, along with the eight criminal aliens deported to South Sudan, are still enduring challenging conditions in Djibouti due to Judge Murphy’s ruling. Trump advisor Stephen Miller has indicated that “fireworks” can be expected in the coming days as the Trump Administration seeks to hold Judge Murphy accountable for his defiance of the Supreme Court.
JUST IN: Stephen Miller says to expect “fireworks” tomorrow when the Trump admin holds a Boston judge accountable for defying the Supreme Court.
Miller’s comment comes after the Supreme Court voted to allow the Trump admin to send illegals to countries other than their… pic.twitter.com/DmUR6KVHxo
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 24, 2025
