US Deports Eight Convicted Criminals to South Sudan Amid Legal Controversy

After a protracted legal battle, the US has sent eight men back to South Sudan, including one native, while various countries, including Rwanda and Costa Rica, have also been considered for similar deportations. Amid Supreme Court rulings favoring the Trump administration, the fate of the deportees remains uncertain in the violence-prone region.

The US has deported eight individuals to South Sudan, concluding a complex legal dispute that temporarily rerouted them to Djibouti for several weeks. The men were convicted of serious crimes, including murder, sexual assault, and robbery, and had either completed or were on the verge of finishing their prison sentences. Notably, only one of the eight is originally from South Sudan, while the others hail from nations such as Myanmar, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and Mexico. US officials stated that numerous home countries had declined to accept their return.

Under the Trump administration, there is a clear initiative to broaden the scope of deportations to third countries, with prior examples involving El Salvador and Costa Rica. Rwanda is reportedly in discussions, while other countries like Benin, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, and Moldova have emerged in media discussions as possible locations for future deported nationals. Visuals shared by the Department of Homeland Security depicted the deportees aboard a flight, restrained by shackles.

Authorities have not disclosed whether the South Sudanese government has apprehended the men upon arrival or their potential outcomes in light of the country's instability, exacerbated by threats of civil war and a US State Department travel advisory citing risks of "crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict."

The deportation voyage began in May, but the plane was redirected to Djibouti when US District Judge Brian Murphy imposed a temporary block, asserting that deportees should receive notice and the opportunity to engage with asylum officials. However, a recent Supreme Court ruling favored the Trump administration, nullifying Judge Murphy's stipulations on due process, and enabling the deportations to resume.

While lawyers sought intervention from another judge, they were ultimately told that only Judge Murphy could adjudicate the matter, who then acknowledged his incapacity to impede the removals after the Supreme Court's decisive ruling. Tricia McLaughlin from the Department of Homeland Security indicated that the deportation to South Sudan represented a victory over what she termed "activist judges." Earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio rescinded all visas for South Sudanese passport holders, referencing the country's history of rejecting deported citizens.