US officials notified certain migrants of impending deportation to Libya, a nation with no connection to their origin and a documented history of human rights abuses, according to lawyers on Wednesday. A judge ruled that they could not be removed without having the opportunity to legally contest the action.

The legal problems happen as the Trump government is moving ahead with plans for many deportations. This includes sending migrants to countries where they are not citizens. The most debated example of sending people to a third country has been sending Venezuelans to a well-known prison in El Salvador.

Sending people who are being deported to Libya, a country known for treating migrants badly, would be a big step up in the government's effort to get other countries to accept people removed from the United States.

A US official previously mentioned on Wednesday that preparations were underway to transport migrants to Libya via a military aircraft, but lacked specific information regarding the schedule of the C-17 flight. The official's discussion of military operations was conducted under the condition of anonymity.

Immigration lawyers say that some of their clients, including people from Vietnam, Laos, and the Philippines, were told by immigration officers that they would be sent back to Libya. They also said that some clients were told they would go to Saudi Arabia.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers brought together six people held in southern Texas early Tuesday and told them they had to sign a paper agreeing to be sent back to Libya, according to a court document filed by immigration lawyers representing people from Vietnam. The lawyers said they were told this by relatives of the people being held.

The lawyers wrote that when everyone said no, they were each put in a separate room and tied up alone to make them sign it.

Similarly, a lawyer representing a Filipino national informed ICE in San Antonio that his client had discovered he was slated for deportation to Libya. The attorney asserted that his client "expresses apprehension about being removed to Libya and consequently requires an interview prior to any deportation."

The judge asserted that migrants should be granted an opportunity to challenge deportation orders.

Counsel sought the intervention of U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy in Massachusetts in court on Wednesday; Judge Murphy is overseeing a lawsuit against the Trump administration concerning its practice of deporting individuals to countries where they lack citizenship.

He decided in March that even if people have used up all their legal options, they cannot be sent away from their home country until they have a real chance to explain why it would be dangerous for them.

On Wednesday, he stated that any removals to Libya that were said to be happening soon would clearly go against this Court's Order. He also told the government to give details about the claims.

Besides sending Venezuelans to El Salvador, the government has also sent people to Panama and Costa Rica who were not citizens of those countries.

Sending people to other countries has brought up many questions about fair legal processes, and especially with El Salvador, if they will be harmed again.

Beyond these three Central American nations, the Trump administration has indicated it is considering other third countries for deportations, offering minimal comment when questioned on Wednesday about Libya’s potential inclusion.

President Donald Trump deflected inquiries toward the Department of Homeland Security; Secretary Kristi Noem subsequently stated during a news conference in Illinois that she was unable to corroborate media accounts detailing intentions to dispatch individuals to Libya.

The Tripoli-based government under Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah asserted in a Wednesday statement that no accord or cooperation existed with the U.S. regarding the reception of migrants; however, it suggested that "certain parallel entities" might have consented to accommodate them.

That appears to allude to its opposing administration in eastern Libya, which is under the command of formidable military figure Khalifa Hifter. For several years, Libya has been fractured into competing administrations in the east and west, each receiving support from armed factions and international governments.

The Hifter-led Libya National Army, which exerts control over eastern and southern Libya, also issued a statement, refuting any agreement or arrangement to accept migrants from the U.S.

The statement declared that migrants would not be welcomed or received in areas controlled by the Libyan Armed Forces, regardless of the circumstances or rationales presented.

Many reports have shown the bad treatment of migrants held in Libya. U.N. investigators said they found proof of possible crimes against humanity, like murder, torture, forced labor, illegal killings, and rape.

Migrants recounted to The Associated Press enduring recurring beatings and torture as ransoms were extorted from their families. Their physical appearance displayed evidence of past and recent injuries, including indications of gunshot and knife wounds across their backs, limbs, and faces.