US Federal Judge in State of Michigan Halts Deportation of Iraqi Nationals

A US federal judge in Michigan ruled the court can give refuge to Iraqi immigrants facing deportation in the United States, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan Executive Director Kary Moss said in a statement.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Moss added that the court can provide relief to enforce Congress mandate, because deportation would expose petitioners to torture, death.

"Goldsmith rules court can give relief to Iraqis," Moss said in a Twitter post Tuesday.

On Thursday, Goldsmith had halted the deportation of Iraqi nationals by an additional 14 days as of July 10.

On June 22, the federal court initially halted the deportation of more than 100 Iraqi nationals who were arrested during Immigration and Customs Enforcements raids in June.

The ACLU stated on June 15 that it filed a class-action lawsuit to immediately stop federal immigration officials from deporting the Iraqi nationals facing deportation.

The lawsuit claimed it is illegal to deport these detainees without allowing them to prove that they fear torture or death if returned to Iraq. Most of the Iraqi Nationals are Chaldean Christians, but some are Christian converts and Shiite Muslims.