Eight migrants’ desperate legal fight to avoid deportation to South Sudan ended in defeat after the Supreme Court upheld the Trump administration’s right to send them to a country wracked by conflict. The case has exposed the limits of judicial protection for migrants facing removal to perilous destinations.
Lower court judges initially intervened, citing the humanitarian risks and ethical dilemmas posed by sending people to a nation with which they had no connection. Despite these concerns, the highest court ultimately sided with the administration.
The men spent weeks detained at a military base in Djibouti while their fate was debated in courtrooms. This period of limbo added to their distress, highlighting the human cost of protracted legal battles.
Currently, the men are in South Sudanese custody, undergoing security screenings. The Supreme Court’s ruling has set a worrying precedent that could see more vulnerable individuals sent to dangerous countries in the future.