The man identified in court documents as “O.C.G.” was the lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit challenging the deportation orders for countries other than his own. The lawsuit included other migrants with similar cases as well.

“O.C.G.” is a gay man who fled Guatemala in 2024 after facing death threats based on his sexuality, his lawyers told Reuters. He entered the United States through Mexico in May 2024.

An immigration judge in February had granted him protection from being deported to Guatemala after an asylum officer found he had a reasonable fear of persecution there. Yet two days later, he was placed on a bus and sent to Mexico, a country where he was previously held for ransom and raped, Murphy stated on Friday.

Trump’s immigration crackdown mistakes

The ruling marks the latest instance of a judge ordering US President Donald Trump’s administration to facilitate the return of a migrant due mistakes in the individual’s case amid a large-scale immigration crackdown in the country.

A similar case occurred with Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported to El Salvador in March despite an order protecting him from removal. He remains there, despite a judge ordering the administration to facilitate his return.

District judge Murphy, an appointee of Trump’s Democratic predecessor Joe Biden, has issued a series of rulings in the case blocking the Department of Homeland Security from deporting immigrants without first ensuring that their concerns, especially around safety, are heard.