(The Center Square) – A federal district judge in Massachusetts, Judge Brian Murphy, sought to prevent deportation of violent criminals but was overruled by the U.S. Supreme Court.

On July 4, eight convicted felons, citizens of Burma, Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Vietnam and South Sudan, were deported to South Sudan. The country’s leaders have entered into an agreement with the U.S. to detain criminal foreign nationals, including those who aren’t their citizens. El Salvador and others have entered into similar agreements, with the U.S. government agreeing to pay for detention costs.

U.S. deportation efforts rely on diplomacy with foreign governments, many of which won’t accept their own citizens. Under previous administrations, federal efforts to deport criminal illegal foreign nationals failed because many countries wouldn’t take back their citizens. As a result, they illegally remained in the U.S. even though they had deportation orders from a federal immigration judge, authorities have explained to The Center Square. Under the Trump administration, this has changed.

Those deported to South Sudan were all men illegally in the U.S. with extensive criminal histories, including felony convictions and prison sentences in the U.S. They all received due process in federal immigration court and received final removal orders from federal immigration judges that were never enforced, including one dating back to 1999.

Burmese national Kyaw Mya was convicted of lascivious acts with a child-victim under age 12 and sentenced to 10 years in prison and paroled after four years. ICE- St. Paul officers arrested him; his final removal order was issued March 17, 2022.

Burmese national Nyo Myint was convicted of first-degree sexual assault involving a victim mentally and physically incapable of resisting and sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was also charged with aggravated assault-nonfamily strongarm and a registered sex offender. ICE- St. Paul officers arrested him; his final removal order was issued August 17, 2023.

Cuban national Enrique Arias-Hierro was convicted of homicide, armed robbery, false impersonation of official, kidnapping, and robbery strong arm. His final removal order was issued September 13, 1999. Due to Cuban authorities refusing to take him, he remained illegally in the U.S.

Cuban national Jose Manuel Rodriguez-Quinones was convicted of attempted first-degree murder with a weapon, battery and larceny, and cocaine possession and trafficking. ICE Miami officers arrested him in April; his final removal order was issued Dec. 4, 2012.

Laos national Thongxay Nilakout was convicted of first-degree murder and robbery and sentenced to life in prison. ICE Los Angeles officers arrested him in January. His final removal order was issued July 12, 2023.

Mexican national Jesus Munoz-Gutierrez was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. ICE Miami officers arrested him in May. His final removal order was issued June 16, 2005.

Vietnamese national Tuan Thanh Phan was convicted of first-degree murder and second-degree assault and sentenced to 22 years in prison. ICE Seattle officers arrested him in May. His final removal order was issued June 17, 2009.

The only South Sudan national in the deportation group was Dian Peter Domach, who was first encountered by ICE in 2011 and received a final removal order on July 19, 2011. He wasn’t deported and remained in the U.S. illegally and committed a range of crimes. He was convicted of robbery and possession of a firearm, possession of defaced firearm, possession of burglar’s tools, and driving under the influence.

Murphy, born in 1979, a former public defender and a criminal defense attorney, was appointed by former President Joe Biden less than six months ago. Murphy argued a Supreme Court ruling didn’t apply to his injunction, seeking to keep convicted felons, including sex offenders and murderers, in the U.S. in violation of federal law. His order violated due process, critics argue, because the convicted felon illegal foreign nationals already appeared multiple times before federal immigration judges who issued judgements against them and final orders of removal.

Justice Elena Kagan chastised Murphy in the court’s July 3 ruling, affirming the Trump administration’s authority to deport illegal foreign nationals to third-party countries.

(The Center Square) – After an Independence Day question on his social media platform, the world’s richest man offered Americans an alternative political party independent of Democrats and Republicans.

For North Carolinians, that means one of three criteria will have to be met before the America Party – or any other creations – can be officially recognized for purposes of being on the ballots.

Musk, a 53-year-old space and automotive industry phenom, served Republican second-term President Donald Trump in the Department of Government Efficiency. Reviews were mixed. On Friday, the 249th celebration of the Fourth of July, Musk asked on social media, “Independence Day is the perfect time to ask if you want independence from the two-party (some would say uniparty) system! Should we create the America Party?”

His poll, he reported the next day, was 2-1 in favor and he wrote, “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

Registration with the Federal Election Commission would be necessary on the national level.

For recognition by the North Carolina State Board of Elections, as outlined in the General Statutes, the three ways involve the options of a party’s voters getting at least 2% of the entire vote cast in the most recent general election; signature petition of at least 0.25% of all registered voters who voted in the most recent gubernatorial election; or a group of voters showing documentation the group had their candidate on the general election ballot in 70% of the states (35) in the most recent presidential election.

The first and third of those are moot at this point; the America Party was not in existence for the 2024 cycle. In fact, Musk was a significant campaign piece for Trump.

For petitions, they must be filed with the state board before noon on June 1 of the year of the election the party wishes to participate in. There’s also a stipulation that, so that counties can verify, the signatures must go to them 15 days before being due to the state. That’s May 16.

The 2025 cycle is known as municipal elections in the state, and 2026 is the midterms – second-longest ballot of the four cycles for the state. The America Party could get into place for next year.

Last year’s governor’s race drew 5,591,547 votes among Democrat Josh Stein, Republican Mark Robinson, Libertarian Mike Ross, Vinny Smith (Constitution Party) and Wayne Turner (Green Party). A quarter of 1% would be 13,979 (rounded up).

More than once, Musk reposted a question on party platform that listed reduce debt, responsible spending only; modernize military with artificial intelligence/robotics; pro tech, accelerate to win in artificial intelligence; less regulation across the board but especially in energy; free speech; “pro natalist,” a form of pronatalism or belief in human reproduction and a high birth rate; and centrist policies everywhere else.

Among other posts through the weekend from Musk, estimated Monday morning by Forbes at more than $405 billion, was one that included the following:

• Tesla will never succeed.

• Elon can’t start a space company.

• Neuralink will never work.

• SpaceX will never reuse a rocket.

• Elon can’t run a social media.

Three political parties lost recognition through the last cycle and North Carolina has four recognized today. Alphabetically, they are the Democratic Party, the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, and the Republican Party.

By registrations through Saturday, those unaffiliated (more than 2.8 million, or 38.3%) have the largest bloc, followed by Democrats (2.3 million, or 30.6%), Republicans (nearly 2.3 million, or 30.4%), Libertarians (only 45,986, or 0.6%) and Green (just 4,024, or 0.05%).

(The Center Square) – At least 69 people are dead and 51 are missing as a result of the July 4 flash flood event in Texas Hill Country, Gov. Greg Abbott said at a news  conference Sunday night.

There are 59 confirmed deceased and 11 missing from Camp Mystic, in Kerrville and Kerr County, Abbott said. In the Central Texas area, there are confirmed 10 additional people deceased. Statewide, in all areas affected by flooding, there are 41 known missing.

But it’s unknown how many remain missing. Abbott said it was important to clarify that “there were so many people who were just camping out – not children in camps – but adults camping out near the river, people in RVs and things like that,” who are missing. “There are people who are missing, who are not on the known, confirmed missing because we don’t yet know who they are,” he said.

Authorities are involved in ongoing searches “throughout the entire river system to find anybody who may be missing,” he said. Abbott also called on members of the public to contact local Kerr County officials if they believe they know someone is missing who was camping in the area.

“Please contact the local officials in Kerr County and let them know that you have the name, identification and other information about a person who is suspected to be missing,” he said. “Call only if you have specific information,” otherwise calls could slow emergency response efforts, he said.

The state has deployed more than 1,500 personnel and more than 925 vehicles and equipment assets across 20 state agencies in response to the flood event.

Expected dangerous weather conditions continue, Abbott also warned, adding that “life threatening danger over the next 24 to 48 hours” exists. Flash flooding could occur in the regions of “the Big Country, Concho Valley, Central Texas and Kerrville,” he said.

“There are still public safety issues and lives to be saved in Kerr County, and all of these regions,” he said.

He urged Texans to remain vigilant and stay off the roads.

Texas Department of Public Safety Colonel Director Freeman Martin said three people have been reported missing in Williamson County, one has been recovered; the fire chief and a 17-year-old female are missing in Burnet County.

At least six people are confirmed dead and 17 are reported missing in Travis and Burnet counties as a result of flood waters, authorities confirmed to the Dallas Morning News.

Recovering operations are ongoing for everyone including “every single one of the children who were at Camp Mystic, as well as anybody else,” Abbott said. After visiting what’s left of the camp, he said, “it was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through.”

“We know that parents and families, they want information, they want closure, and we want them to know that we are working as swiftly as possible to get them accurate information that will provide that closure,” Abbott said.

More than 850 people have been rescued, the majority by the Texas Military Department.

Texas National Guard helped rescue/evacuate 525 people, 366 by air and 159 by ground; 20 were in San Sabo County and five in Burnet County, Texas Military Department Adjutant General Major General Thomas Suelzer said.

One single U.S. Coast Guard officer rescued a record 165 people.

U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer Petty Officer Scott Ruskin “directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. “This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene. Scott Ruskin is an American hero. His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the USCG.”

The Trump administration is supporting recovery efforts, including the president already approving a major disaster declaration authorizing FEMA assistance.