US removes eight people convicted of crimes amid South Sudan reports

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

A federal judge has ordered US officials to appear at an emergency hearing to answer questions about their apparent deportation of immigrants to South Sudan and other countries.

Shortly before the hearing began, the Trump administration confirmed it had deported eight people it said had been convicted of crimes in the United States, but the government refused to say what their final destinations would be.