PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that the Trump administration violated his order to provide “meaningful” due process to a group of illegal immigrants facing deportation. In the decision, U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy also suggested that Trump immigration officials could have committed criminal contempt by moving forward with the deportation flight.
👥 Who’s Involved: Illegal immigrants from Burma, Vietnam, Mexico, Cuba, and Laos; U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy; and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
📍 Where & When: The illegal immigrants were allegedly flown from Texas earlier this week; Judge Murphy issued his ruling on Wednesday, May 21, after ordering DHS to maintain custody of the deportees late on Tuesday.
💬 Key Quote: “A local judge in Massachusetts is trying to force the United States to bring back these uniquely barbaric monsters who present a clear and present threat to the safety of the American people and American victims,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said before the ruling on Wednesday.
⚠️ Impact: The ruling marks the latest interference by the U.S. federal courts in President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to deport dangerous illegal immigrants from the United States, some with removal orders dating back decades.
IN FULL:
A federal judge has intervened after reports surfaced that at least a dozen criminal illegal aliens, including migrants from Burma, Vietnam, and Mexico, were deported to South Sudan earlier this week. U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy on Wednesday blocked the deportations and ordered the return of the illegal immigrants to the United States. In a previous ruling in April, the Joe Biden appointee ordered the Trump administration to ensure illegal immigrants slated for deportations to third countries received “meaningful” due process, but declined to provide detailed instructions as to what that would entail.
Late Tuesday, Judge Murphy issued an order instructing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to maintain custody of the deportees, who were alleged to be on a plane sitting on a South Sudanese runway. The directive, according to the federal district court judge, was to give him time to determine whether the removals were unlawful—a determination he made just several hours later.
While Judge Murphy acknowledged his April ruling did not provide details regarding what he expected in terms of due process for the deportees, he insisted the 12-hour notice given by U.S. immigration officials was “obviously insufficient.” Likewise, attorneys representing the illegal immigrants argued that immigration authorities violated the April ruling, contending that they were not given an adequate opportunity to contest deportation to third countries where their clients had no ties and could face safety concerns.
On Wednesday, before the court hearing, DHS officials confirmed that a flight carrying at least eight individuals departed from Texas. However, DHS declined to confirm whether South Sudan was the final destination. A list released by the department identified the passengers as having criminal records and included illegal immigrants from Cuba, Laos, and Mexico.
“A local judge in Massachusetts is trying to force the United States to bring back these uniquely barbaric monsters who present a clear and present threat to the safety of the American people and American victims,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said before the ruling.
