The Trump administration has petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that limits its ability to deport non-citizens to South Sudan.
US District Judge Brian Murphy had ruled that deportations to South Sudan, or third countries, must include a “meaningful opportunity” for individuals to contest them.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that immigration law grants the executive branch broad deportation authority, which Murphy’s order oversteps.
The administration claims the injunction disrupts “sensitive diplomatic, foreign-policy, and national-security efforts.”
The dispute stems from the attempted deportation of eight men, mostly not South Sudanese citizens, to South Sudan.
Murphy’s ruling mandated interviews with attorneys and interpreters present, with specific notice periods for interviews and challenges.
The government argued Murphy’s order is burdensome, forcing them to detain deportees “mid-flight” at a military base in Djibouti.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described the deportations as part of a “diplomatic and military security operation,” citing the deportees’ criminal convictions.
This legal battle is part of ongoing litigation against the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
Trump and his allies have criticized Judge Murphy as an “activist judge.”
