Lawyers for the immigrants, who aren’t from South Sudan, contend the deportations violate a court order after a previous attempt to send some people to Libya.

Legal battle over deportation of immigrants with serious crimes to South Sudan continues as judge considers if their removal violates court orders.

The United States once cheered the creation of South Sudan as an independent nation. Now the U.S. is being asked to explain why it appears to be deporting migrants from as far away as Vietnam to a chaotic country that's once again in danger of collapsing into civil war.

In a chaotic hearing, Trump administration officials told a federal judge they did not know where a plane of deportees was going. The judge raised the possibility that he could order its return.

Rights groups say the “safe third country” plans unveiled Tuesday contravene EU values and will burden poorer nations. Under the bloc’s rules, people can be sent to countries deemed safe, but not to those where they face the risk of physical harm or persecution.

A federal judge ruled late Tuesday that U.S. officials must retain custody and control of migrants apparently removed to South Sudan in case he orders their removals were unlawful.

The first flight carrying 38 migrants who chose to self-deport from the United States, including 4 US citizen children with their parents, landed in Honduras.