The Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to deport eight immigrants held at a U.S. military base in Djibouti to South Sudan, issuing an unsigned opinion that suspends a Massachusetts judge’s earlier restrictions.
Judge Brian Murphy had required the government to verify that deportees would not face torture in third countries, citing instability in South Sudan. After officials attempted the transfer anyway, he ruled the action unlawful. The administration argued that his safeguards caused operational “havoc,” while detainees’ attorneys said he simply enforced anti-torture obligations.
The Court’s clarification fully lifts Murphy’s injunction while litigation continues. Conservative justices supported the stay, while Justices Sotomayor and Jackson dissented, warning the decision could expose the men to serious danger.
