Attorneys seek to block Trump administration from deporting migrants to South Sudan : NPR

A United States Air Force Boeing C-17 used for deportation flights is pictured at Biggs Army Airfield in Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas on February 13, 2025.

Justin Hamel/AFP via Getty Images

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Justin Hamel/AFP via Getty Images

Immigration attorneys in Massachusetts have requested a federal judge to intervene and prevent the Trump administration from deporting migrants to South Sudan or other countries they are not originally from.

Migrants from Myanmar, Vietnam, and other nations without legal status in the U.S. were notified of impending deportations, prompting their lawyers to seek a temporary injunction to stop the process. The attorneys argue that the administration’s actions violate a court order requiring proper due process for deportations.

The attorneys are urging the government to refrain from deporting migrants to countries other than their own unless they receive adequate notice and the opportunity to challenge their deportation.

The Department of Homeland Security has not yet responded to the request for comment.

Reports indicate that at least one individual from Myanmar has already been deported to South Sudan, raising concerns among legal representatives about the lack of due process.

The Trump administration has been exploring options to deport individuals to other countries willing to accept them.

As part of this effort, more than 200 Venezuelan migrants have been deported to El Salvador, with the administration justifying the move by claiming some of them are affiliated with a notorious gang and can be removed under the Alien Enemies Act. Additionally, the administration has paid El Salvador to accommodate these deportees.

Earlier discussions involved the possibility of deporting migrants to Libya, despite concerns over the country’s volatile situation and human rights abuses.

South Sudan has faced significant challenges, including a lengthy civil war that ended in 2018 but left lasting political instability and ongoing conflicts between government forces and rebels. The country remains at risk of descending into civil war once again, raising alarm among international organizations like the United Nations.