Judge Blocks Deportation of Asian Immigrants to South Sudan

BOSTON — A federal judge has intervened to halt the deportation of Asian immigrants sent from a Texas detention center to South Sudan, ordering the Trump-era immigration authorities to retain custody of the individuals amid rising legal and humanitarian concerns.

In an emergency ruling issued Tuesday evening, U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy of Massachusetts directed the Department of Homeland Security to keep the affected immigrants in ICE custody so they could be returned if the court finds their removal unlawful.

While the court gave federal agencies discretion over logistics, Murphy emphasized that those detained must be treated “humanely.”

The ruling came after attorneys revealed that two men—one from Myanmar and the other from Vietnam—were abruptly transferred from the Port Isabel Detention Center in Los Fresnos, Texas, to South Sudan, a nation currently engulfed in armed conflict and facing one of the world’s largest refugee crises.

Sudden Transfers Raise Legal Red Flags

According to court filings, the men were first informed on Monday they would be deported to South Africa. When they refused to sign the orders, officers later returned with revised notices indicating South Sudan as the destination. Again, the men did not sign. By Tuesday morning, both detainees had vanished from official records, alarming attorneys and family members.

Murphy has previously ruled against similar deportations. Earlier this month, he blocked the removal of 13 detainees to Libya, citing a violation of due process protections. The court had required that detainees be notified of their deportation in a language they understand and be given the opportunity to argue against transfers to third countries where their safety could be at risk.

Legal Advocates Sound the Alarm

Jacqueline Brown, the attorney representing the Burmese detainee identified as N.M., said she lost contact with her client hours before a scheduled meeting. When she attempted to track him using ICE’s detainee locator, he had disappeared. An immigration officer later confirmed he had been sent to South Sudan.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports that over 4.5 million people have been displaced due to violence in South Sudan. The U.S. State Department has warned citizens not to travel to the country, citing widespread threats including armed conflict, kidnappings, and home invasions.

N.M. had been ordered deported from Nebraska, home to a large Burmese refugee community, including many Karen ethnic minorities who fled Myanmar’s military dictatorship. His lawyer says he had previously been part of a group slated for deportation to Libya, which the court blocked earlier this month.

The Vietnamese man, meanwhile, had already signed removal orders to return to Vietnam. His spouse reported that he was detained with ten others from countries including Laos, Thailand, Pakistan, Korea, and Mexico—all of whom were reportedly removed alongside him.

Families Plead for Intervention

“This cannot be allowed to happen,” the Vietnamese man’s spouse pleaded. “This isn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last if no one stops them. Please help.”

Advocates warn that overcrowding and poor conditions at detention centers are driving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to relocate detainees to dangerous or unstable countries without due process.

“The conditions are inhumane,” one advocate said. “ICE is sending people anywhere they can to reduce overcrowding. This is not justice—it’s a violation of human rights.”

The Department of Homeland Security has yet to comment on the court’s latest order.