Two Cubans and One Mexican Among The 'Barbaric Criminal' Migrants Deported to South Sudan

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the deportation of eight men convicted of serious crimes in the United States to South Sudan. The development took place after a high-profile legal battle over the fate of the men culminated when two federal judges rejected a last-ditch attempt by immigration rights advocates to halt their removal from U.S. soil.

Among those deported are two Cuban nationals (Enrique Arias-Hierro and José Manuel Rodríguez-Quiñones, both residents of Florida with an extensive criminal record) and one Mexican national (Jesús Muñoz Gutiérrez, convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment).

Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin described the deportations as "a win for rule of law, safety and security of the American people" through an official statement on the DHS website. She went on to refer the men as "barbaric criminal illegal aliens," adding that "these sickos were finally deported to South Sudan on Independence Day."

McLaughlin said some of the deportees were so violent "even their own countries will not accept them," and thanked ICE law enforcement officers for their role in the operation. The rest of the men hail from Laos, Myanmar, Sudan, and Vietnam.

The deportations came after a protracted legal battle. In May, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy of Massachusetts blocked the removal of the men to South Sudan, ordering the Department of Homeland Security to provide them with interviews and a chance to contest deportation based on fear of torture or persecution. However, the Supreme Court in recent rulings stayed Murphy's injunctions, effectively allowing the administration to proceed with the deportations. Murphy later denied further efforts by advocates to halt the removals, citing binding Supreme Court orders.

Judge Randolph Moss of the District of Columbia briefly issued a stay to pause the deportations on Friday, citing concerns about the men's physical safety and the principle that the U.S. should not inflict further suffering on those who have served their sentences. Nevertheless, he allowed the stay to expire, returning jurisdiction to Judge Murphy, who denied the final motion to stop the deportations.

Human rights advocates have expressed concern over the deportations, citing the dangers the men could face in South Sudan, including detention, torture, or worse. Trina Realmuto, attorney with the National Immigration Litigation Alliance told CBS News:

"The U.S. State Department warns Americans against all travel to South Sudan, yet deported these men there without any due process. Make no mistake about it, these deportations were punitive and unconstitutional"

The Justice Department has said that South Sudan provided "credible diplomatic assurances" that the men would not face torture, but the details of their treatment remain unclear.