The United States is being asked to explain why it appears to be deporting migrants from as far away as Vietnam and Cuba to South Sudan, a chaotic country that's once again in danger of collapsing into civil war.

A federal judge in Boston has told the Trump administration it must to maintain custody of migrants whom the US government has allegedly flown to South Sudan or other countries in recent days amid heightened concerns over the administration’s aggressive approach to deportations.

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