In a major development, the US Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to restart deporting migrants to countries other than their own. This decision removes a judicial block that previously required officials to first give migrants a chance to explain how deportation could put them in danger.
The ruling came without an explanation and was backed by the court’s conservative majority. However, it sparked strong criticism from the three liberal justices. Justice Sonia Sotomayor called the move a “gross abuse of power” and said it ignored the potential for serious harm to those being deported.
Earlier, US District Judge Brian Murphy had ruled that the policy of third-country deportations likely violated the Constitution’s guarantee of due process. He required that migrants receive notice and an opportunity to present fear-based claims before being removed. The order was put in place after a class-action lawsuit from immigrant rights groups.
Even though the Supreme Court removed the broader protections, Judge Murphy clarified that his separate ruling blocking the deportation of eight men to war-torn South Sudan still stands. The US government had previously kept these men at a military base in Djibouti to avoid violating Murphy’s original order.
Meanwhile, immigrant advocates expressed deep concern over the ruling. Trina Realmuto from the National Immigration Litigation Alliance warned that the decision removes key protections that shield vulnerable migrants from torture and even death. She described the ruling’s impact as “horrifying.”
The White House praised the decision, saying it affirms the president’s authority to deport criminal migrants, even if their home countries won’t accept them. DHS officials said they would now move swiftly with deportations. The case marks yet another high-stakes legal battle over Trump’s tough immigration policies since his return to office.