Eight Men Deported to South Sudan – Including Two Cubans

A group of eight men with criminal records – including two Cubans – has been deported to South Sudan after spending weeks in a military base in Djibouti as a legal battle over their future was fought in the U.S.

Federal Judge Ryan Murphy had blocked their deportation in May, arguing the men were not given appropriate notice to contest their deportation. But a recent Supreme Court ruling overturned Murphy’s decision and gave the Trump administration the go-ahead. 

The Supreme Court ruling opens the door to the unprecedented deportations to third countries. The Trump administration holds conversations with several countries to take in migrants – El Salvador and Costa Rica already have. 

The men’s future in South Sudan remains unknown. The country is on the brink of civil war, with the State Department warning U.S. citizens not to travel there due to “crime, kidnapping and armed conflict.”