US deports ‘barbaric criminals' to African state
The Department of Homeland Security announced the move on Saturday in a press release that included photos and details of the men – one South Sudanese national and the others from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, and Vietnam. All had been convicted of crimes including murder, sexual assault, and robbery, and were either nearing the end of their prison sentences or had already completed them.
'These sickos were finally deported to South Sudan on Independence Day,' Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, adding that they are 'so heinous even their own countries will not accept them.'
The US Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump's administration to proceed with the removal of the men, who were initially held at a military base in Djibouti for weeks after a district court judge in Massachusetts blocked the deportations.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated a series of hardline immigration measures, following through on campaign promises to reverse what he described as the 'open border' policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
In February, the Homeland Security moved to expand rapid deportations to third countries, prompting immigrant rights groups to file a class-action lawsuit on behalf of migrants facing removal without notice or a chance to plead their case. In April, US District Judge Brian Murphy ruled that deporting immigrants to nations other than their home countries without due process 'unquestionably' violated constitutional protections.
However, late last month, the Supreme Court's conservative majority ruled that the White House could proceed with the fast-track deportations, effectively overturning Judge Murphy's earlier order.
On Saturday, McLaughlin hailed the South Sudan removal as a 'win for the rule of law, safety and security of the American people,' while also accusing 'activist judges' of putting US law enforcement in 'danger' by delaying the move for weeks.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 but has remained unstable since a five-year civil war ended in 2018. Renewed political tensions had sparked fears of another civil war, prompting the US to withdraw non-emergency personnel from its embassy in Africa's newest nation in March.
In April, Washington revoked all visas issued to South Sudanese passport holders, stating that no new ones would be granted, thus barring the country's nationals from the US. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed the landlocked nation had refused to accept deported nationals and said the US would consider reviewing the measure once the East African country fully cooperates.
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