US Supreme Court Greenlights Broader Deportations to Third Countries

The US Supreme Court has ruled to allow the Trump administration to resume deporting migrants to countries other than their own, even if they have no prior ties to those nations. This decision, issued by a 6-3 conservative majority, overturns a lower court order that required the government to give migrants a “meaningful opportunity” to contest their deportation and raise concerns about potential danger or torture in the proposed destination country.

The ruling enables faster and more expansive removals, particularly for individuals whose home countries refuse to accept them back. The Trump administration has already sent groups of migrants—including those with criminal convictions—to countries such as South Sudan, Libya, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The Department of Homeland Security hailed the decision as a “major victory” for national security and public safety, emphasizing that many deportees are violent offenders whose home countries will not accept them.

The Supreme Court’s order was unsigned and did not provide an explanation, which is typical for emergency rulings. The three liberal justices dissented strongly, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor condemning the decision as an “abuse” of judicial authority and a violation of immigrants’ due process rights.

This decision is expected to accelerate the administration’s mass deportation plans while ongoing legal challenges continue in lower courts