Civil rights groups denounce cruelty, lawlessness of ICE deportation flight to war zone in violation of judge's order
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Last week, the Trump administration defied a judge's order and placed eight community members, including long-term residents of the U.S., on a deportation flight to South Sudan without due process. The community members, who were born in countries including Mexico, Cuba, and Vietnam, have no ties to South Sudan, a country facing a serious armed conflict and which has been given a level 4 "do not travel" warning by the US State Department due to the risk of kidnapping and violence. Meanwhile, the flight itself remains stranded in Djibouti. In response to these developments, an array of community, immigrant rights, and civil rights organizations issued the following statement(s):
As human beings, our lives have value—regardless of what we look like, where we come from, or how much money we have. Yet the Trump administration is trampling our most cherished principles, defying the rule of law and shipping people who are immigrants off to countries they have never been to and where their lives are in danger. It shocks the conscience that the US government would attempt to deport individuals to South Sudan given the country conditions there. The Trump administration must return the deported community members to the United States and ensure they receive due process.
Immigrant Rights and Racial Justice Groups Condemn DHS Violation of Court Order and Deportation Flights to South Sudan
(Washington, DC)— In violation of constitutional and human rights law and in clear defiance of existing court orders, the Trump administration last week attempted to deport eight to South Sudan, including long-time residents of the US. Immigrant rights and racial justice organizations, condemn the Trump administration's actions and urge the courts to order the immediate return of these individuals to the U.S. and to their families and communities. Presently, the United States Government Department of State established a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” warning to the country of South Sudan “due to armed conflict, civil unrest, crime, terrorism, and kidnapping.” It shocks the conscience that the US government would attempt to deport individuals there given the country conditions in South Sudan. These actions deny the humanity of the people in question and are beyond cruel.
“The continued defiance of court orders and rejection of legal norms by the Trump administration has further cemented the disarray and inhumanity of the immigration landscape in our country. By allowing these illegal deportation flights, we are opening the door to continued offshore and indefinite detention with no oversight. The administration must immediately return these individuals to the United States,” said Sameera Hafiz policy director at the ILRC.
“The Trump Administration’s blatant attempt to whisk eight people—including some Asian immigrants—to South Sudan in the middle of the night, without opportunity to object, is unconscionable and unconstitutional,” said Martin Kim, Director of Immigration Advocacy at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC. “This effort to undercut due process is a danger to all Americans: our collective safety depends on the laws and rights that this Administration has shown it is all too willing to violate. We demand that the Administration immediately bring these eight individuals home and cease its illegal deportations to third countries.”
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