Overview

• The eight men, convicted of violent crimes in the United States and detained at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti after a May flight diversion, arrived in South Sudan on July 5 under local authority supervision.
• In June, the Supreme Court’s unsigned emergency orders lifted lower-court injunctions that had required advance notice and hearings for third-country removals.
• A federal judge had initially blocked the May flight for failing to allow removal challenges but later ruled he lacked power to override the Supreme Court’s directive.
• Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin described the transfers as a victory for rule of law and the safety and security of the American people.
• Critics warn that sending noncitizens to conflict zones like South Sudan risks human rights violations and non-refoulement breaches as the administration pursues more such pacts.