South Sudanese authorities say that eight men deported from the United States are now in government custody in the African country.

Murphy’s decision came after a frenzied day in court by attorneys for the eight men, who initially filed an emergency petition in Washington, D.C., before a federal judge there sent the case back to Massachusetts. The July 4 drama came a day after the Supreme Court lifted an order by Murphy that had blocked the deportation.

The US has deported eight people to South Sudan following a legal battle that saw them diverted to Djibouti for several weeks. The men - convicted of crimes including murder, sexual assault and robbery - had either completed or were near the end of their prison sentences.