A federal judge in Boston has ruled that the United States government violated a court order by deporting a group of migrants without giving them the legal process they were owed. The decision was made by Judge Brian E. Murphy during an emergency hearing after eight people were deported, some to countries they are not from. The judge said this action broke a previous court order that required proper legal review before such deportations could take place.
The group included people from different countries. Only one of them was a citizen of South Sudan. Others came from Myanmar, Cuba, Laos, and Mexico. Lawyers for the migrants said most of them were told about the deportation less than 24 hours before it happened. This short notice made it almost impossible for them to speak to a lawyer or stop the process.
One of the lawyers involved said the situation was confusing and rushed. A man from Myanmar was told he could be sent to three different countries within just a few hours. The lawyer said he had never seen a case handled in such a disorganized way. He also warned that sending people to unsafe countries without legal checks puts lives at risk.
The Department of Homeland Security later confirmed that a deportation flight did take place, but they did not give any details about where the migrants were sent. A government spokesperson defended the deportations and said the migrants were dangerous criminals. She also criticized the judge’s ruling, saying that it was not the job of a district judge to decide on national security matters.
Flight tracking data showed that the plane may have landed in Djibouti. However, officials in South Sudan later stated that no migrants had arrived there. They added that if anyone did arrive without South Sudanese citizenship, they would not be allowed to stay in the country.
This is not the first time Judge Murphy has warned the government about illegal deportations. He had already issued a court order that barred deportations to third countries without giving migrants a chance to respond. In a different case, the court was told a Guatemalan man was being sent to Mexico. But government lawyers later admitted they were unsure where he actually went. The judge said that giving wrong or unclear information to the court is a serious problem.
Many of the deported migrants belong to groups that face danger in their home countries. One of them is a Burmese man from a minority group that has been targeted in Myanmar. His lawyer said sending him to Myanmar or South Sudan would put him at serious risk. Both countries are known for political violence and human rights abuses.
Immigration experts say the government failed to follow US law and international human rights rules. They argue that every person being deported should be given enough time and legal support to fight the deportation if their life is in danger. Ignoring this process could lead to people being harmed or killed after being removed from the US.
The case has raised strong concerns among legal and human rights groups. They say the recent deportations show a pattern of the government acting without respect for the legal system. Many are now calling for more oversight and clearer rules to protect people from being deported unfairly.