US Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration to Resume Third-Country Deportations

The United States Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to continue third-country deportations, halting a lower-court ruling that previously paused such removals over due process concerns.

On Tuesday, the high court granted the administration’s emergency request to resume the deportations, which involve sending immigrants to countries with which they may have no prior connection. The unsigned order included no explanation or vote tally, though justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Elena Kagan indicated they would have denied the petition.

The temporary pause on the lower court ruling will remain in place until arguments are heard in December. The upcoming hearing is part of the ongoing appeal by the Trump administration against a ruling handed down by Judge Brian Murphy in Boston, Massachusetts, who had stated that immigrants must receive a meaningful opportunity to raise safety concerns before removal.

Third-country deportations have increased significantly since President Donald Trump returned to office in 2025, with officials arguing the practice is necessary when home countries refuse to accept returning nationals. Critics and human rights groups, however, have raised severe concerns regarding human rights abuses and the potential circumvention of legal protections against persecution.

According to data compiled by Refugees International and Human Rights First, at least 35 countries have signed agreements with the Trump administration to accept third-country nationals, impacting more than 25,000 people to date. Meanwhile, United Nations human rights experts have urged the US government to halt the removals, warning that deportees face heightened risks of abuse and danger.