Washington (AP) — The Trump administration has reportedly initiated the deportation of individuals from Myanmar and Vietnam to South Sudan, despite an existing court order that restricts such removals to other countries. Attorneys representing the affected migrants disclosed this information in recent court documents, indicating that immigration authorities may have deported as many as a dozen people from various countries to Africa.
This action appears to violate a court mandate that stipulates migrants must be given a “meaningful opportunity” to contest their deportation to a country outside their homeland, particularly if such a move endangers their safety. Legal representatives for the migrants reported that one individual from Myanmar was confirmed to have been removed, as evidenced by an email from an immigration official in Texas. Alarmingly, the man was notified of his deportation plans solely in English, a language he does not understand well. His attorneys were only made aware of the deportation just hours before his flight.
Additionally, a woman has reported that her husband, originally from Vietnam, along with up to ten other individuals, was flown to Africa on Tuesday morning. Attorneys from the National Immigration Litigation Alliance have urgently requested Judge Brian E. Murphy to issue an emergency court order to halt these deportations. Judge Murphy, appointed by President Joe Biden, previously stated that any attempts to deport individuals to Libya without proper notice would “clearly” breach his ruling, which also applies to those who have exhausted their legal appeals.
A hearing regarding this matter is scheduled for Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security and the White House have not responded to inquiries seeking clarification on this situation.
Notably, some countries refuse to accept deportations from the United States, prompting the Trump administration to negotiate agreements with other nations, including Panama, to accommodate these deportees. For instance, Venezuelans have been sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador under a controversial 18th-century wartime law facing significant legal challenges.
South Sudan has been plagued by ongoing violence since its independence from Sudan in 2011, despite initial hopes that its abundant oil reserves would lead to economic prosperity. Recent warnings from the top U.N. official in the country indicate that fighting between factions loyal to the president and vice president could escalate into a full-scale civil war. This situation bears a troubling resemblance to the conflicts of 2013 and 2016, which resulted in over 400,000 fatalities, according to Nicholas Haysom, who heads the nearly 20,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.
The U.S. State Department's annual report on South Sudan, released in April 2024, highlights “significant human rights issues” including arbitrary killings, disappearances, torture, and inhumane treatment by security forces, as well as widespread violence based on gender and sexual identity. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has granted Temporary Protected Status to a limited number of South Sudanese individuals residing in the United States since the country's formation in 2011, protecting them from deportation due to the dangerous conditions in their homeland. Recently, Secretary Kristi Noem extended these protections until November for further review.
For continued updates on this evolving situation regarding deportations and human rights conditions in South Sudan, stay tuned.
