Deported immigrants, mostly Asian and Latino, will be in Djibouti for 2 weeks, White House says [View all]

Source: NBC News

Deported immigrants, mostly Asian and Latino, will be in Djibouti for 2 weeks, White House says

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt blamed a deportation flight linked to South Sudan on a judge who ruled that the administration had violated a court order.

May 22, 2025, 3:07 PM EDT
By Kimmy Yam and Laura Strickler

A flight with eight immigrants that left Texas this week, reportedly headed for South Sudan, will now remain in the East African country of Djibouti for two weeks to comply with a court order, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday.

During a briefing, Leavitt placed blame on the U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy in Massachusetts, following a hearing Wednesday after eight people from Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cuba, Mexico and South Sudan had been deported to a third country. Lawyers had said the flight was headed for South Sudan, but the Department of Homeland Security says it won't confirm.

Murphy had said in the hearing the Trump administration was in violation of a previous injunction that prevented people from being sent to countries other than their own without opportunities to voice their fears of torture or persecution, or without proper notice ahead of time.

Murphy ordered that the individuals be provided legal counsel and an opportunity to raise their fears. He also ordered the deportees to be given at least 15 days to reopen immigration proceedings and challenge their deportation in the event the government still aims to send them to a third country.

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Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/deported-migrants-asian-latino-djibouti-rcna208595