Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration Third-Country Deportations

The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily allowed the Trump administration to continue deporting immigrants to third countries—nations other than their home countries—by staying a Massachusetts judge's order that required proper notice and a chance to challenge such removals. The lower court had mandated at least 15 days for immigrants to raise concerns if they feared harm in the destination country, but the Supreme Court's unsigned order put this injunction on hold while the case proceeds. These third-country removals typically occur when an immigrant's home country refuses to accept repatriation. Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, emphasizing that the ruling undermines due process and the right of individuals on U.S. soil to defend themselves before removal, cautioning that the government is proceeding without adequate safeguards in life-or-death situations. The decision facilitates the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportations by easing the process of sending immigrants to alternative countries when their home countries are unwilling to accept them. Previously, some immigrants were rerouted to a U.S. military base in Djibouti for fear interviews after being blocked from deportation flights to South Sudan due to the preliminary injunction.