Judge orders Trump administrators to "maintain custody of immigrants deported to South Sudan"

In less than two weeks, a second immigration lawyer went to federal court in an attempt to prevent the Trump administration from deporting a small group of immigrants from the United States to a war-torn country rather than its own.

Immigration lawyers told the court that at least two clients from Myanmar and Vietnam were deported back to South Sudan for violating court orders and they requested a return.

"The court should further restrict all flights from members to South Sudan or any other third country," the lawyer said.

During an emergency hearing Tuesday night, U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy told the Trump administration “to safeguard custody and control of class members currently being handed over to South Sudan or any other third country.” The judge wrote in a court order that if the evacuation is found to be illegal, it is "to ensure the actual feasibility of the return".

A hearing on the matter was scheduled on Wednesday, and the judge has asked the Trump administration to identify the people who were removed, the type of notices they received and the opportunity they must “put fear-based claims” before they are removed. (A claim based on fear is usually a person expressing fear of harm such as persecution or torture.)

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and NBC News was unable to independently verify whether the deportation had flown to South Sudan.

The State Department Travel Advisory Council warned Americans not to go to South Sudan “due to crime, kidnapping and armed conflict” and noted that due to the circumstances, the department “ordered the departure of U.S. government employees from South Sudan.”

According to a court application, two immigrants who were allegedly sent to South Sudan were the subject of the final dismissal order, allowing the government to deport them to their country of origin.

In their documents, lawyers included an email from the wife of a Vietnamese immigrant who said she believed her husband, at least 10 people were deported to South Sudan on Tuesday morning. She said immigrants refused to sign forms to facilitate their deportation rather than their own country.

The woman's name was edited in the archives and he wrote to her husband's lawyer: "The judge signed the dismissal order to expel my husband back to his country of origin, Vietnam, and not any other third country."

The Trump administration has tried to send a group of immigrants to Libya this month. According to an emergency motion filed by the lawyer at the time, the immigration came from countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Laos. The flight was stopped after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order.

The judge said immigration needed notification and had the opportunity to raise concerns about possible torture or persecution. In front of the same judge, attempts to stop or revoke the deportation to South Sudan.

Immigration lawyers believe that at least one person the Trump administration attempted to send to Libya was sent to South Sudan.

The efforts to reach the South Sudan government made a comment without success.

Julia Ainsley and Chloe Atkins contribute.