The US has recently deported eight individuals, including convicted criminals, to South Sudan after a contentious legal battle involving their deportation status. This event follows their initial flight from the US in May, which was rerouted to Djibouti when a Massachusetts district judge, Brian Murphy, intervened to grant the detainees a chance to contest their deportation in front of an asylum officer.
The deported men are primarily nationals from Myanmar, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and Mexico, with only one being from South Sudan itself. Following the ruling of the Supreme Court in favor of the Trump administration last week, the legal roadblocks for their deportation were eliminated. Despite the precarious conditions in South Sudan, known for its crime and armed conflict, US officials suggested that the country should receive these individuals, as many had refused to take them back.
Tricia McLaughlin from the Department of Homeland Security praised the Supreme Court ruling as a substantial victory against "activist judges." Furthermore, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, earlier in the year, revoked all visas for South Sudanese passport holders, further complicating the scenario given South Sudan's reluctance to accept deportees.
Upon receiving the deported individuals, the South Sudanese government has not disclosed if they will detain the men or what their future holds. This raises urgent questions regarding the safety and treatment of these individuals in a country suffering from ongoing conflict and instability.
