Federal judge blocks Trump admin deportation of 8 foreign nationals

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U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss has granted an “administrative stay” blocking the deportation of eight asylum seekers who face threats of violence in their home countries. 

The asylum seekers include a family of four fleeing the Taliban, a man who claims to have been jailed and tortured in Egypt over his political views, and a woman from Ecuador, where she says her police officer husband could possibly kill her, Politico reported. 

ICE and ERO officers detaining one of 216 illegal immigrants who have been convicted of drug dealing or drug possession. Around 1.4 million illegal immigrants in the United States have deportation orders against them, a U.S. official said.  (Todd Packard, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) )

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Attorneys representing the asylum seekers say that the Trump administration is breaking the law and not giving those with “credible fear” of persecution and violence the chance to obtain legal status.

Judge Moss, an Obama appointee, said that the court needs more information on the situation for these asylum seekers. He has given the Justice Department until Friday at midnight to provide more details on them, according to Politico.

Gavel on a table in a courtroom. (iStock)

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In their complaint, attorneys representing the asylum seekers argue that President Donald Trump’s proclamation on “Guaranteeing the States Protection Against Invasion” is “as unlawful as it is unprecedented.”

President Donald Trump holds a document on the day he issues executive orders and pardons for Jan. 6 defendants in the Oval Office at the White House, Jan. 20, 2025. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

The proclamation, which was issued on Jan. 20, cites health, public safety and national security risks as reasons for taking the action. Additionally, the proclamation says that the large number of migrants who have entered the U.S. illegally increases these risks.

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“And the risks associated with these issues are greatly exacerbated when the number of aliens illegally crossing the southern border increases to levels that prevent actual operational control of the border.”

It asserts that officials “do not have the ability to verify with certainty the criminal record of national security risks associated” with every individual crossing the border.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a Fox News request for comment.