Legal Tug-of-War: Judge Murphy Denies Emergency Motion for Djibouti Deportees
In a swift turn of events, Judge Brian Murphy, appointed by President Biden, has rejected an emergency motion from the attorneys representing eight undocumented immigrants currently stranded in Djibouti. The court has ruled that these individuals will be transported to South Sudan tonight at 7 PM ET.
Earlier in the day, following a Supreme Court ruling, Judge Randolph Moss, an Obama appointee, held an urgent hearing to address the potential transfer of these eight individuals, preventing the Trump Administration from proceeding with their deportation to South Sudan.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys argued that some of these individuals hail from Laos, Vietnam, and Cuba, claiming that relocating them to South Sudan exposes them to significant danger. However, the narrative surrounding these individuals has taken a rather sensational turn.
Described as “criminal alien killers and rapists,” the rhetoric suggests that their home countries have outright refused to accept them back, leading the Trump Administration to opt for South Sudan as a destination for deportation.
Judge Moss ultimately decided to defer the matter to a district court in Massachusetts, where Judge Brian Murphy was assigned. The plaintiffs’ legal team was granted a mere hour to file their emergency claim, but with time running out, Judge Murphy ultimately denied the motion to halt the transfer to South Sudan.
In his ruling, Judge Murphy noted that the Supreme Court had already provided the Trump Administration with clearance regarding this situation. He stated, “This Court interprets these Supreme Court orders as binding on this new petition, as Petitioners are now raising substantially similar claims, and therefore Petitioners motion is denied.”
UPDATE: Judge Murphy denies the emergency motion — it appears the men will be South Sudan-bound within the hour. He lays it at the feet of the Supreme Court. https://t.co/WogwiK90PU pic.twitter.com/DXwh876RMF
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) July 4, 2025
On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of the Trump Administration, lifting Judge Murphy’s previous order that had obstructed the deportation of the eight individuals stuck in Djibouti.
Interestingly, Justice Elena Kagan, typically aligned with the liberal wing, sided with the conservative justices in a concurring opinion. In stark contrast, Justice Sonia Sotomayor expressed her discontent in a dissenting opinion, remarking that it seems the Trump Administration has the Supreme Court on speed dial.
