US Court Lifts Limits on Third-Country Deportations

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted restrictions on deporting immigrants to third countries that are not their native homelands, while agreeing to hear the merits of the case in December.

Granting an emergency request from the Trump administration, the conservative-dominated panel suspended a lower court ruling that required immigration authorities to provide deportees prior notice so they could raise concerns about potential persecution or torture abroad.

The court’s three liberal justices dissented from the decision.

The decision supports President Donald Trump’s broader agenda to accelerate deportations following his return to the White House in 2025.

Solicitor General John Sauer defended the practice as an essential security tool to expel non-citizens whose home nations refuse to accept them, arguing that the lower court’s notice requirements created severe logistical hurdles.

Opponents counter that the policy violates federal law prohibiting deportations to countries where individuals face danger, pointing to investigations that show third-country deportees frequently face indefinite detention, abuse, or forced repatriation.