In a swift legal move, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, sitting in Boston, issued a temporary order halting the deportation of migrants to Libya, declaring that the action would “clearly violate” a prior injunction meant to safeguard migrants’ legal rights.
The ruling comes as two U.S. officials, speaking anonymously to CBS News, revealed that the administration was preparing to deport migrants to the North African country, with military flights possibly departing as early as this week.
Reacting swiftly, Libya’s prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, made his stance clear, posting on social media platform X: “Libya refuses to be a destination for the deportation of migrants under any pretext.”
SNEWS TV has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment, but so far, no official statement has been released.
Immigration attorneys in Massachusetts filed an urgent court motion on Wednesday, warning that deportation flights were already being prepared. Their filing urged the court to act immediately, arguing that the Trump administration was moving to remove migrants in violation of due process rights.
Judge Murphy’s ruling emphasized that his earlier order requires the government to provide migrants with written notice — in a language they understand — along with a meaningful chance to challenge their removal.
Asked by reporters whether he was aware of the Libya deportation plan, President Donald Trump responded briefly: “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Homeland Security.”
Since returning to office in January, Trump has intensified his administration’s mass deportation drive, sometimes invoking controversial tools, including a rarely used wartime law.
The plan has sparked alarm not just among legal advocates, but also international observers. Libya has been mired in conflict since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, leaving the country divided — with a U.N.-backed government in the west and forces led by General Khalifa Haftar in the east.
It remains unclear how many migrants the U.S. intended to deport or to which faction-controlled area they would be sent.
Meanwhile, other nations, including Rwanda, Benin, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, and Moldova, have reportedly been approached by the Trump administration as potential deportation destinations.
As the administration ramps up immigration raids and arrests, migrants across the U.S. are left in a state of uncertainty and fear.
Human rights organizations warn that deporting individuals to conflict-ridden countries like Libya could expose them to severe risks, including violence, abuse, and exploitation.
We will continue to follow this developing story as legal battles unfold, and international responses intensify. Stay tuned to SNEWS TV for the latest updates on immigration policy and global affairs.
Reporting by Katy Moore.
