Federal judge halts Trump administration deportation of eight migrants to South Sudan

Federal judge halts deportation of eight migrants to South Sudan, ruling on July 4 to allow time for constitutional arguments against Trump administration's policy.

Illegal migrants line up on a military plane to head back to Ecuador. On Friday, a federal judge halted the Trump administration's efforts to send eight migrants to South Sudan.  (Fox News)

They were detained for six weeks on a military base in Djibouti instead of being brought back to the United States.

On Thursday, the migrants filed new claims after the Supreme Court said that a federal judge in Boston could no longer require the Department of Homeland Security to hold them, Reuters reported. 

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Friday's order stops the U.S. government from moving the men until 4:30 p.m. ET. They were scheduled to be removed to South Sudan on a 7 p.m. flight. 

TRUMP ADMIN ASK SCOTUS TO AUTHORIZE RAPID MIGRANT DEPORTATIONS TO COUNTRIES OTHER THAN THEIR OWN

During Friday's hearing, a government lawyer argued that court orders halting agreed-upon deportations pose a serious problem for U.S. diplomatic relations and would make foreign countries less likely to accept transfers of migrants in the future.

The case is the latest development over the legality of the Trump administration's campaign to deter immigration by shipping migrants to locations other than their countries of origin pursuant to deals with other countries, according to Reuters. 

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"It seems to me almost self-evident that the United States government cannot take human beings and send them to circumstances in which their physical well-being is at risk simply either to punish them or send a signal to others," Moss said during the hearing.

Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.

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