A US judge has temporarily halted the deportation of more than 100 Iraqi Christians living in the Detroit area who fear torture and possible death if sent back to Iraq.
US District Judge Mark Goldsmith said in a written order on Thursday that deportation was halted for 14 days while he decided if his court had jurisdiction to hear their plight.
The Justice Department had argued the detainees, including many who were recently rounded up after decades in the US, must go to immigration court to try to remain in the US, not US District Court.
But the American Civil Liberties Union said they might be deported before an immigration judge can consider their requests to stay.
Most of the 114 Iraqis are Chaldean Christians but some are Shiite Muslims and converts to Christianity.
They were arrested on or about June 11 and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said all have criminal convictions.
Iraq recently agreed to accept Iraqi nationals subject to removal from the US.
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