• A federal judge ruled that a deportation flight to South Sudan violated a court order.
• Judge Brian Murphy expressed concerns over lack of due process for deported migrants.
• The Trump administration is accused of improperly deporting individuals without adequate notice.
• Attorneys raised issues of severe human rights concerns in South Sudan.
• There are calls for the return of migrants and better legal protections in future deportations.

A federal judge in Boston determined that the Trump administration had likely violated his legal order by sending a group of migrants to South Sudan without providing them adequate time to contest their deportation. Judge Brian Murphy stated that this action, which reportedly involved several individuals with serious criminal backgrounds, constituted a violation of his preliminary injunction issued on April 18, which stipulated that deportees must be given 15 days' notice to raise concerns about potential dangers in their destination country, according to New York Times, Al Jazeera, and The Hill.

During a virtual hearing on Tuesday, Judge Murphy rebuked the Trump administration for its handling of the deportation process, noting that the administration's actions were possibly in contempt of his previous court order. The judge reportedly directed a government attorney to inform all parties involved with the flight about the potential legal repercussions of non-compliance with his ruling. Judge Murphy expressed concern over the government's failure to locate the plane before it took off, highlighting the urgency of due process concerns for those involved in the deportation, according to Al Jazeera and The Hill.

Judge Murphy underscored that migrants deported to South Sudan might face persecution, as the U.S. Department of State has accused the country of serious human rights violations, including torture and extrajudicial killings. Furthermore, Murphy stated that all deportees should be afforded the same protections guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment, which ensures due process. This situation arose amidst ongoing litigation by migrant advocacy groups, reflecting deeper concerns over the administration's approach towards recent deportations, as reported by New York Times and The Hill.

The controversy highlights significant operational challenges faced by the Trump administration as it navigated the logistics of deportations, especially when referral countries express non-cooperation with accepting their nationals. In the hearing, the Justice Department indicated it was attempting to manage deportations effectively, asserting that the judge had not provided a clear definition regarding the notice period required for these operations. Murphy, however, strongly rejected this assertion and reiterated the need for compliance with judicial standards for due process, which have been outlined in his previous rulings, according to New York Times, Al Jazeera, and The Hill.