Massachusetts federal district judge Brian Murphy ruled May 21 that the flight violated his April order that forbade the government from sending any migrants to third countries without providing them clear information about where they were going and giving them time to raise any concerns about being sent to that country.

Eight people from Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cuba, Mexico and South Sudan were on a flight reportedly intended for South Sudan this week.

Kiir, 73, promoted sanctioned ally Second Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel as his SPLM party's deputy chairperson, according to a decree read on the state broadcaster on Tuesday night, weeks after the United Nations said the country was on the brink of civil war.

Following reports of deportations to South Sudan, the Trump administration said Wednesday it has deported eight migrants convicted of crimes in the United States. Immigration authorities refused to say what their final destinations would be,