Supreme Court OKs Rapid Migrant Deportations to Third Countries

The Supreme Court on Tuesday paused a lower court order that had blocked the Trump administration's policy of rapidly deporting migrants to third countries without prior notice. This decision allows federal officials to continue these removals for now.

The high court granted the government's request for a stay, clearing the way for the policy's enforcement while the justices agreed to hear oral arguments on the case in December. Immigrant rights organizations and advocates have raised concerns about the policy's impact on individuals seeking asylum.

Earlier this month, a three-judge panel for the First Circuit had ruled against the administration, stating that immigrants were not receiving adequate notice before being deported to nations with which they have no ties. Circuit Judge Seth Aframe wrote, "An individual's right to contest removal to a country based on a fear of persecution in that country means little if one does not receive prior notice of the intended removal destination and a meaningful opportunity to contest that destination."

Human Rights First and Refugees International reported approximately 25,000 people were deported to third countries during the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts. While third-country removals are not new, they have become more frequent. The administration established formal agreements with nearly three dozen countries to deport asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants with criminal records, often with little warning. One group of Latin American men deported to the Central African Republic reported not being informed of their destination until several hours into their flight. Aristides Fernandez Garcia stated, "I feel kidnapped."

Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented from the Supreme Court's decision to grant the stay.