A U.S. federal judge has ruled that any attempt by the Trump administration to deport migrants to Libya would directly violate an existing court order that prohibits deportations without evaluating the risks of persecution or torture in the destination country. The decision comes amid reports that the administration was preparing to deport migrants to the North African nation, raising alarm among rights advocates and legal experts.
U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy issued the ruling on Wednesday after a Reuters report revealed that the Trump administration was considering deporting migrants to Libya for the first time, despite longstanding U.S. criticism of Libya’s treatment of detainees. Citing anonymous officials, Reuters said military flights could have begun as early as Wednesday.
Though details remain unclear, officials would not confirm the number of migrants or their nationalities. Family members of one Mexican national said he had been pressured to sign papers consenting to deportation to Libya, while rights groups indicated potential deportees also include Filipino, Laotian, and Vietnamese nationals.
President Donald Trump said he was unaware of the plan, deferring inquiries to the Department of Homeland Security. Both DHS and the White House declined to comment, while the Pentagon referred questions back to the executive branch.
The Government of National Unity in Libya, as well as the rival Libyan National Army controlling the east, both rejected the idea of receiving deportees without coordination, citing sovereignty concerns.
Lawyers for migrants pursuing a class-action lawsuit quickly filed an emergency motion to halt any deportations to Libya or third countries en route, including Saudi Arabia, without ensuring legal protections. Judge Murphy, appointed by President Biden, sided with them, stating that such deportations “would clearly violate this Court’s Order.”
Murphy also rebuffed the administration’s argument that his order applied only to the Department of Homeland Security and not to the Department of Defense, which would handle transportation. He emphasized that DHS could not “evade” judicial oversight by shifting deportation responsibilities to another agency.
This legal challenge follows a broader crackdown by the Trump administration on undocumented immigrants, which has included military deployments to the southern border, mass deportations, and efforts to coerce voluntary departures under the threat of detention or financial penalties. As of Monday, the administration reported deporting 152,000 individuals.
Among the migrants facing deportation is 39-year-old Valentin Yah, an Indigenous Mexican man from Yucatán. Yah, who served 15 years in a U.S. prison for a sexual abuse conviction, has been in immigration custody since his release. His family told Reuters that he pleaded with officials to be deported to Mexico, just 100 miles away from his detention center in Pearsall, Texas, rather than Libya.
In its most recent human rights report, the U.S. State Department condemned Libya’s prison conditions as “harsh and life-threatening” and advised American citizens to avoid travel due to risks of crime, conflict, and kidnapping. Despite this, officials within the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have suggested expanding deportations to more distant and less cooperative countries, with Rubio recently stating, “The further away from America, the better.”
Judge Murphy’s ruling temporarily halts the deportation plans and reinforces judicial checks on executive immigration enforcement, especially where human rights and due process are at stake.
