DHS exposes crimes by migrants deported to South Sudan as judge threatens to order their return
The plane is carrying eight men – all of whom are convicted of crimes ranging from homicide to robbery, according to details exclusively provided by the Department of Homeland Security. The DHS says they have been compliant with all court orders to date.
"No country on earth wanted to accept [the migrants] because their crimes are so uniquely monstrous and barbaric," Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said at a press conference Wednesday. "These heinous individuals have terrorized American streets for too long."
Cuban citizen Enrique Arias-Hierro is convicted of homicide, armed robbery, false impersonation of an official, kidnapping, and robbery strong arm. He was arrested on May 2 by ICE. Another Cuban citizen, Jose Manuel Rodriguez-Quinones, was arrested by ICE on April 30, and he's convicted of first-degree murder with a weapon, battery and larceny, as well as cocaine possession and cocaine trafficking.
Thongxay Nilakout, a Laos citizen who was convicted of first-degree murder and robbery and was sentenced to life behind bars, is also on the flight. He was arrested in January by ICE. Mexican citizen Jesus Munoz-Gutierrez is convicted of second-degree murder, and was taken into ICE custody earlier this month.
Dian Peter Domach of South Sudan is convicted of a DUI, "possession of burglar's tools and possession of defaced firearm; sentenced to 18 months confinement" and "robbery and possession of a firearm; sentenced to 8 years confinement." He was arrested by ICE earlier this month.
Two Burmese citizens, Kyaw Mya and Nyo Myint, are also headed to the African nation on the flight. Mya is convicted of "Lascivious Acts with a Child-Victim less than 12 years of age." He was sentenced to 10 years behind bars, but he was paroled after four years. Myint is convicted of "first-degree sexual assault involving a victim mentally and physically incapable of resisting" and faced 12 years behind bars. He was also charged with "aggravated assault-nonfamily strongarm." Both were arrested by ICE in February.
Vietnamese citizen Tuan Thanh Phan, a citizen of Vietnam is convicted of "first-degree murder and second-degree assault."
U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Massachusetts, a Biden appointee, ruled on Tuesday night that the Trump administration must maintain custody of the migrants in case he rules their removal unlawful, and they must be transferred back to the U.S.
Lawyers for illegal immigrants from Myanmar, also called Burma, and Vietnam accused the Trump administration of illegally deporting their clients to third-party countries. They argue the deportations violated Murphy's previous court order mandating that migrants be granted "meaningful opportunity" to establish that sending them to a third country would make them unsafe.
Murphy previously found that any plans to deport people to Libya without notice would "clearly" violate his ruling regarding third-party deportations, which also applies to people who have otherwise exhausted their legal appeals.
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