Mugshots of the illegal migrants being deported from the US to South Sudan - Photo Credit: New York Post

The United States Supreme Court on Thursday gave a green light to the Trump administration to deport a group of foreign nationals with criminal records to South Sudan, despite growing concerns over their safety upon arrival.

The men, originally from Latin America and Asia, have been held for weeks at a U.S. naval base in Djibouti after being convicted of serious crimes in the United States.

A previous court ruling had barred their removal without prior notice or an opportunity to raise claims of fear, torture, or persecution.

However, the latest decision from the top court overturned that restriction, effectively clearing the way for the deportations to proceed.

Reacting to the ruling, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said the group would be in South Sudan by Independence Day, calling the move “a win for the rule of law.”

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi welcomed the ruling, accusing a lower court judge of overstepping his authority and praising the Department of Justice for defending government policy.

Back in May, District Judge Brian Murphy had blocked the Trump administration from sending the men to South Sudan without giving them time to speak to U.S. asylum officers. He argued the administration had violated earlier court orders by trying to carry out the deportations within 24 hours and without fair procedures.

Despite warnings from the U.S. State Department against travel to South Sudan due to ongoing violence and political instability, Washington says it has received “credible diplomatic assurances” from Juba that the deportees will not be tortured.

The move has drawn criticism in US as Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in a dissenting opinion joined by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, said the majority of the Supreme Court was enabling what she called “unlawful ends” by allowing the removals without adequate safeguards.

She warned that the deportees risk facing torture or even death in South Sudan.

Justice Elena Kagan, while expressing concerns about the case, said lower courts cannot enforce orders that the Supreme Court has already put on hold.