Trump administration accused of colluding with white nationalists to lie about rightwing extremism They illegally deported almost a dozen asylum seekers from Myanmar and Vietnam to South Sudan, a country marked by armed conflict and severe poverty. We know the administration continued deportations even when a court ordered them to stop. This order barred them from expeditiously sending migrants to third countries without due regard for the danger these people could encounter if sent back.
On Tuesday morning, close to a dozen migrants detained at a Texas detention center were flown south to an empty South Sudan. Among them was one such migrant from Myanmar, who was allowed to go by the initials NM. NM’s legal representation received an email on Monday from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official notifying them of the impending deportation. MT’s attorney contended that service of the notice of removal in only English language violated an earlier court order. Regardless of these conditions, NM refused to execute the notice.
Kilmar Ábrego García, a father who lived in Maryland for 20 years, was wrongfully deported to El Salvador. Beyond the stunts, he’s been a clarion voice on the damage done by Trump’s administration. In his pessimism, he pointed out that the legal consequences of these deportations could be egregious for those being thrust back into perilous conditions.
On Tuesday, attorneys for the migrants filed an emergency request in court. On Thursday, they asked U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy to stop the deportations. They highlighted the power of listening to their clients’ fears. These concerns regarding possible torture or persecution if returned home should be resolved prior to any deportation occurring.
“Return is imminently reasonable – and necessary – in such a situation, as the supreme court recognized in recent weeks,” – lawyers for the migrants
The situation is likely critical, which the plaintiffs’ attorneys stressed at the hearing today. They’re really on the offensive, defending their clients against what they consider to be illegal deportation. Collectively, these actions pose morally profound questions about how we should treat migrants. They further undermine our ability and our collective moral commitment to comply with judicial mandates to keep them safe.