Back in April, Judge Murphy ruled that non-citizens facing deportation must have the opportunity to argue that their removal to any country other than their country of origin poses a risk to their safety. That earlier decision had already stopped deportations to Libya. The latest ruling extends that protection to those being sent to South Sudan, a nation facing ongoing instability and conflict.

During an emergency court hearing, Murphy stated that the individuals on board the flight had not been properly informed of their rights or given a meaningful opportunity to present objections. The judge concluded that deporting them under such circumstances would violate their legal protections, even though all eight had been convicted of serious crimes.

Court documents show that the individuals on the flight had been convicted of offenses including murder, rape of a minor, and other violent crimes. Several of them had final deportation orders dating