Men deported by U.S. to South Sudan

Eight men, most of them not South Sudanese nationals, were deported by the United States to South Sudan last week after a protracted legal tug-of-war that briefly rerouted their journey to Djibouti. Despite only one of the individuals being from South Sudan, the country became the final destination after several other nations reportedly declined to accept them.

The group, which included citizens of Myanmar, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and Mexico, had all served time in the U.S. for serious offenses such as murder, sexual assault, and robbery. Some had completed their prison terms, while others were nearing the end of their sentences.

U.S. immigration authorities defended the move, noting the increasing difficulty of repatriating individuals when their countries of origin refuse to take them back. “Most of their home countries had refused to accept them,” officials said.

The Trump administration has been pushing for broader use of “third-country deportations,” sending individuals to nations other than their country of origin. El Salvador and Costa Rica have previously accepted such deportees, while other potential destinations reportedly under discussion include Rwanda, Benin, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, and Moldova.

A photo shared with CBS News by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security showed the deportees shackled at both the hands and feet aboard the aircraft.

It remains unclear how the South Sudanese authorities will handle the group. “Officials did not say whether the South Sudanese government had detained them or what their fate would be.”

Edmund Yakani, head of a South Sudanese civil society group, briefly saw the eight men after their arrival in Juba. “The eight were in a civilian facility in the capital Juba under the watch of police and the national security service,” he told the BBC World Service. “They were not in handcuffs and appeared to be in good condition.”

Yakani noted that their legal status remained uncertain and expressed hope that the government would clarify their position soon. “The status of the group was still unclear and he hopes the government provides clarity on Monday,” the BBC reported.

The deportation comes amid heightened instability in South Sudan, a country the U.S. State Department has warned citizens to avoid due to ongoing armed conflict, rampant crime, and kidnapping risks.

The eight men were first flown out of the U.S. in May, but their journey was temporarily halted after a Massachusetts district judge intervened. Judge Brian Murphy had ruled that deportees bound for third countries were entitled to receive formal notice and consult with an asylum officer.

However, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his decision last week, clearing the way for the removals to proceed. On Thursday, the high court stated that Judge Murphy could no longer mandate due process hearings in such deportations. Efforts by attorneys to get another judge involved failed when it was determined that only Judge Murphy had jurisdiction. In turn, Murphy acknowledged he lacked authority to block the removals, citing the Supreme Court’s “binding” ruling.

The Department of Homeland Security celebrated the final outcome. “Tricia McLaughlin from the US Department of Homeland Security called the South Sudan deportation a victory over ‘activist judges’.”

Tensions between the U.S. and South Sudan had already escalated earlier this year when Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked visas for all South Sudanese passport holders, citing the country’s previous refusal to accept its deported citizens.