Eight men convicted of serious crimes in the United States have been deported to South Sudan after a court process that delayed their removal for several weeks, with their plane first rerouted to Djibouti.

The men, who had either completed or were close to finishing their prison sentences, were convicted of offences such as murder, robbery, and sexual assault. Only one among them is originally from South Sudan.

The rest are citizens of Myanmar, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos and Mexico. US authorities said these men were deported to South Sudan because their home countries had refused to take them back.

This deportation is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to expand deportations to third countries.

So far, the US has deported individuals to El Salvador and Costa Rica, and reports suggest talks with Rwanda, Benin, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini and Moldova.

A photo shared with CBS News by the Department of Homeland Security showed the men shackled by both hands and feet while on the aircraft.

Officials have not confirmed whether South Sudanese authorities have detained them or what will happen to them next.

Edmund Yakani, a civil society leader in South Sudan, said he briefly saw the group in Juba, where they were being held at a civilian facility under the supervision of police and national security officers.

He noted that the men were not in handcuffs and appeared to be in good condition. “I was allowed to briefly see the eight people, but did not get a chance to speak to them,” he said.

Yakani added that their status remains uncertain and said he expects the government to give an update on Monday.

The US State Department has warned against travel to South Sudan due to insecurity, crime, abductions and armed violence. The country remains fragile and at risk of descending into civil conflict.

The eight men had originally been flown out of the US in May, but their deportation was halted mid-flight after a Massachusetts judge, Brian Murphy, issued a ruling that barred such deportations without prior notice and an opportunity for migrants to speak with asylum officers. The plane was diverted to Djibouti.

However, the US Supreme Court later overturned Judge Murphy’s ruling, siding with the Trump administration. On Thursday, the court ruled that Murphy could no longer demand due process hearings, allowing the deportations to continue.

Lawyers attempted to challenge the removals again through a different judge, but he ruled that only Murphy had the authority. Murphy then stated he had no power to block the deportations due to the Supreme Court's binding decision.

Commenting on the outcome, Tricia McLaughlin from the Department of Homeland Security described the deportation as a win over “activist judges”.

Earlier this year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancelled all visas held by South Sudanese nationals, accusing the government of previously refusing to accept deported citizens.