U.S. says it tried to deport criminals on flight lawyers say was to South Sudan

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The Trump medication connected Wednesday said it placed 8 migrant detainees with superior transgression records connected a deportation formation that lawyers alleged was destined for the violence-plagued African state of South Sudan, successful its latest effort to deport migrants to countries that are not their own. 

The medication has not disclosed whether the formation reached its destination, however.

Top Department of Homeland Security officials said the 8 men were successful the U.S. illegally and hailed from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, South Sudan and Vietnam. The section shared lawsuit accusation indicating each the would-be deportees had transgression convictions, including for homicide, attempted murder, intersexual assault, lascivious acts with a kid and robbery.

On Tuesday, migration lawyers told the national territory court successful Massachusetts that astatine slightest 2 men from Myanmar and Vietnam were apt being deported to South Sudan, saying the reported deportation formation would interruption an bid by national justice Brian Murphy that blocked deportations to 3rd countries unless detainees were provided definite owed process rights. 

During a briefing successful Washington connected Wednesday to sermon a migrant formation to South Sudan, apical DHS officials confirmed a deportation formation had near Texas connected Tuesday, saying the 8 detainees from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, South Sudan and Vietnam were being transported arsenic portion of "a diplomatic and subject information operation."

The officials, however, declined to corroborate the last destination of the formation oregon immoderate ceremonial statement with South Sudan's government, citing operational and information concerns. The officials besides said they could not disclose the nonstop whereabouts of the 8 detainees.

Following an exigency question by the lawyers who alerted him of the imaginable deportation formation to South Sudan, Murphy, the national justice successful Massachusetts, ordered the Trump medication precocious Tuesday to clasp "custody and control" of the would-be deportees.

On Wednesday, apical DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the 8 men who had been placed connected the deportation formation that departed Texas remained successful U.S. custody.

McLaughlin besides sharply criticized Murphy's ruling.

"It is perfectly absurd for a territory justice to effort and dictate the overseas argumentation and nationalist information of the United States of America," McLaughlin said, accusing Murphy of "trying to force" officials to bring backmost unsafe individuals to the U.S.

During a proceeding connected Wednesday, a Justice Department lawyer representing the Trump medication told Murphy the formation successful question had landed determination and confirmed the men remained successful U.S. custody. But the lawyer said the existent determination of the formation could lone beryllium discussed successful private, retired of earshot of the press.

The Justice Department lawyer said the concern was unsafe for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees connected the formation due to the fact that of the severity of the detainees' transgression records.

As portion of its migration crackdown, President Trump's medication has staged an aggravated diplomatic effort to person nations astir the satellite to judge migrants who are not their ain citizens, approaching nations similar Libya and Rwanda to instrumentality successful third-country deportees. 

Early connected successful Mr. Trump's 2nd term, U.S. officials deported African and Asian migrants to Costa Rica and Panama, and Venezuelan deportees accused of being pack members to El Salvador, wherever they stay detained astatine a notorious mega prison.

CBS News and different outlets reported earlier this period that the Trump medication was preparing to nonstop migrants to Libya, but that formation ne'er materialized erstwhile those reports surfaced.

The imaginable of sending immoderate deportees from antithetic countries to Libya oregon South Sudan has alarmed quality rights advocates.

Like Libya, South Sudan is simply a troubled federation torn by equipped struggle and governmental strife. Both countries person Level 4 question advisories by the U.S. State Department, which warns Americans not to question determination owed to the menace of equipped conflict, unit and kidnappings.

Camilo Montoya-Galvez

Camilo Montoya-Galvez is the migration newsman astatine CBS News. Based successful Washington, helium covers migration argumentation and politics.

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