By US Homeland Security officials, US aircraft, known as “wild bar” and “violent” in response to the directions of US federal court judges, stopped at Shannon Airport on their way to their destination.
Flight tracking data obtained by the New York Times tracked a Gulfstream jet owned by a private company that stopped by Shannon for two hours after leaving the Harlingen, Texas airport on Tuesday. From Shannon, the aircraft was transferred to the Djibouti airport and arrived there on Wednesday.
The final destination for the eight deportees is reported to be South Sudan.
Tánaiste and Foreign Minister Simon Harris said Thursday that he is seeking “legal clarity” about the situation.
At a press conference called Wednesday, Tricia McLaughlin, deputy secretary for the Department of Homeland Security's spokesperson, stressed the seriousness of the crimes Decortees committed.
“We have carried out deportation flights from Texas to eliminate some of the most wild and violent individuals in the United States. Their crimes are so monster and wild bar that the nations on Earth didn't want to accept them.
Among those thought to have been deported are men from Vietnam, Cuba, Myanmar, Laos and Mexico. Their removal came in conflict with the direction of U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy, based in Massachusetts.
Harris said he was “trying to get to the top” of the situation and wanted clarity.
“Complying with US laws is clearly a matter of the US administration. Complying with our own laws is clearly for the Irish state and the Irish government,” Harris told RTéRadio's Morning Ireland.
“There are very clear rules related to flights that can be stopped at Shannon and can't, and what you have to and don't. You need to make sure that this complies with it.”
Judge Murphy had ordered immigration authorities to conduct screening interviews with men to establish whether lawyers and interpreters were present and whether they were eligible for humanitarian assistance.
His decision came after an emergency motion was filed by a lawyer representing the man. Their client said they were informed that they were sent to South Sudan rather than to their home country.
Ms McLaughlin went on to say that the Department of Homeland Security has finally found a country that is willing to accept abroad. She criticized Judge Murphy for “trying to get them back.”
“It is absolutely ridiculous for a district judge to try to determine US foreign policy and national security.”
She refused to state where the flight's final destination was.
“We follow the legitimate procedures under the US Constitution,” McLaughlin said.
“These individuals and their lawyers had a lot of prior notice,” she said before “pleading” for presents to write about the victims of crimes committed by retirees.
The episode represents the latest clash between a federal judge and the department over deportation flights that take place against court orders.
Judge Murphy has ruled the US government's attempt to “arguably” “arguably” and “arguably” violate immigration to South Sudan. He spoke at an emergency hearing ordered in Boston after his deportation.
On Tuesday, Judge Murphy ruled that US President Donald Trump cannot allow groups of immigrants to be transported to countries that leave their own immigration authorities.
The seven male lawyers were told that their clients had not been given notice within 24 hours that they had been expelled from the United States. Judge Murphy said such a short period was “clearly insufficient.”
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the eighth man in the group was a South Sudanian citizen.
South Sudan, the youngest country in the world, is widely said to be on the verge of crisis as it descends into another episode of the Civil War.
A South Sudan police spokesman said immigrants had not arrived from the United States.
He said, if so, they would be investigated and anything that was found not to come from the country will be “proclaimed again to their righteous country.” – Additional Report: AP
