Deportation of Convicted Criminals to South Sudan Cleared by Judge

The Trump administration's plan to deport eight men, all convicted of serious crimes in the United States, to South Sudan seemed to be progressing on Friday evening. This followed a federal judge's rejection of a second lawsuit. The lawsuit argued that the administration's use of deportation to a dangerous location constituted an unconstitutional form of punishment.

The ruling, delivered by Judge Brian E. Murphy of the Federal District Court in Massachusetts, potentially concluded a lengthy ordeal. The eight men had been held for weeks in shackles inside an air-conditioned shipping container on a U.S. military base in Djibouti, located in the Horn of Africa. Judge Murphy determined that two Supreme Court rulings supporting the administration also applied to the new lawsuit, which presented "substantially similar claims." He denied the migrants' request for an order to halt their deportation.

During a court hearing on Friday, a Justice Department attorney stated that the flight transporting the men from Djibouti to South Sudan was scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern time. On Thursday, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Homeland Security Department, described the detainees using derogatory language and predicted their arrival in South Sudan by Independence Day.

The deportations to South Sudan would represent a success for the Trump administration. The administration had emphasized a strict approach to immigration enforcement and had publicly criticized federal judges who attempted to limit its actions. The White House had labeled Judge Murphy a "far-left activist." Stephen Miller, Mr. Trump’s deputy chief of staff, accused Judge Murphy of attempting a "judicial coup" for requiring the men to remain in U.S. custody and be given the opportunity to express a legitimate fear of torture in South Sudan.