A Biden-appointed federal judge is pushing back against the U.S. Supreme Court by keeping in place an order that blocks the deportation of illegal aliens to South Sudan—despite the high court’s ruling that gave President Donald Trump’s administration the green light to resume removals.
Late Monday evening, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy declared that his May 21 order “remains in full force and effect,” citing ongoing concerns over due process and detainee safety.
His defiance follows a 6-3 Supreme Court decision earlier in the day that granted the Trump administration’s emergency application to restart third-country deportations of foreign nationals deemed inadmissible.
Murphy’s justification relied in part on Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent, which criticized the high court for granting emergency relief without addressing the judge’s remedial orders.
“The District Court’s remedial orders [were] not properly before [the Supreme] Court because the Government has not appealed them,” she wrote.
She further accused the Court of abusing its discretion.
The legal dispute centers on a group of foreign nationals, many with violent criminal histories, who were ordered deported under Trump’s revived third-party removal policy.
Though some individuals are originally from Vietnam, Cuba and Laos, they were scheduled for removal to South Sudan, which attorneys argued placed them in significant danger due to instability in the region, according to The Gateway Pundit.
President Trump has lashed out at the court’s interference in deportation efforts.
“Eight of the most dangerous criminals on earth are currently being held in Djibouti,” he said, blaming Judge Murphy’s order for the situation.
Without a U.S. detention facility in the country, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have resorted to housing the detainees in a makeshift conference room inside a converted shipping container at Camp Lemonnier, a U.S. naval base in the Horn of Africa.
Murphy first intervened last month, ruling that the federal government violated legal standards by failing to provide the detainees with interpreters, legal counsel and meaningful due process before initiating removal proceedings.
He ordered that all eight individuals remain in U.S. custody throughout the legal process and not be transferred to a third country prematurely.
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority sided with the Trump administration, asserting that the government had demonstrated a legitimate national security interest.
Court records highlighted incidents where several detainees had assaulted federal officers, vandalized property and posed continued threats to public safety.
The case has sparked significant tension between branches of government, raising questions over executive enforcement authority in immigration and the limits of lower court intervention.
With Murphy’s refusal to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling, a potential constitutional showdown is looming, according to TGP.
Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to President Trump, warned that the administration would not tolerate ongoing obstruction from federal judges.
“Expect fireworks,” he told reporters, suggesting that legal or disciplinary action may be taken against Murphy or his ruling.
For now, the eight illegal aliens remain in limbo, held overseas under tight security while federal agencies determine how to proceed.
The Trump administration has not yet filed a new appeal or motion to override Judge Murphy’s latest declaration.
As the standoff continues, the conflict underscores broader debates about immigration control, the rule of law and the role of unelected judges in blocking presidential authority on border enforcement.
