Supreme Court Clears Way for Third-Country Deportations to South Sudan

The eight men, who were previously convicted of serious crimes in the United States, have spent the last six weeks detained in a shipping container at Camp Lemonnier, a U.S. military base in Djibouti. Throughout their confinement, they have been kept under constant guard and frequently shackled. The high court’s unsigned order overturns a previous injunction by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, who had attempted to block the transfers based on the risks of persecution the men face upon arrival in a war-torn region.

Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, highlighting the severe dangers posed by the ruling. Trina Realmuto, an attorney representing the detainees, stated that the decision condones lawlessness and leaves her clients vulnerable to immediate arrest and detention. Neither the U.S. nor South Sudanese officials have provided clarity on the men's status once they land in the East African nation. The administration pushed for this outcome after accusing the lower court of defying earlier high court signals regarding the scope of immigration authority.