Judge Blasts Trump Admin’s ‘Chaos’ in South Sudan Deportations, Defends Due Process

In a fiery rebuke, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy slammed the Trump administration for what he called a deliberate attempt to sow chaos in the deportation of six migrants to South Sudan, escalating a tense standoff over due process. The Massachusetts judge issued a blistering 17-page order Monday night, accusing senior officials of flouting his earlier rulings by deporting the migrants without proper notice or access to reasonable fear interviews—a critical step to assess risks of persecution or torture if returned to South Sudan.

Murphy’s order stems from a class-action lawsuit challenging the administration’s push to deport migrants to third countries like South Sudan, El Salvador, and others. He emphasized the delicate balance between the government’s deportation agenda and constitutional protections, noting that the migrants, held at a U.S. military base in Djibouti, were denied their right to legal counsel and basic information about South Sudan—a country the U.S. State Department warns against visiting due to rampant crime and conflict.

The judge didn’t mince words, criticizing the administration for mischaracterizing his orders while creating logistical nightmares abroad. “It’s harder to conduct immigration proceedings on another continent than they thought,” Murphy quipped, offering a pointed jab at the administration’s decision to conduct interviews overseas rather than returning the migrants to U.S. soil. He also called out the Justice Department’s inconsistent stance on what constitutes adequate notice, noting their claim that 24 hours was sufficient before abruptly deporting the group.

This clash is part of a broader judicial pushback against the Trump administration’s deportation tactics. Federal judges, including Murphy, have repeatedly ruled that such actions violate due process, a view echoed by the Supreme Court in four separate rulings since Trump took office. Yet, the administration has doubled down, with Trump himself blasting “USA-hating judges” on Truth Social, labeling Murphy an “activist judge” protecting “criminal illegal immigrant monsters.” Murphy shot back, acknowledging the migrants’ criminal histories but firmly defending their constitutional rights: “Due process doesn’t bend for anyone.”

As the legal battle intensifies, Murphy’s order underscores a deeper societal question: Can the rule of law hold firm amid politically charged immigration policies? For now, the migrants remain in limbo, and the administration shows no public signs of complying with judicial orders to bring them back.