The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to resume deporting migrants to third countries without first offering them a chance to claim they face harm, marking a significant win for his aggressive immigration stance. In a brief unsigned order, the court lifted a lower court's injunction that had required officials to give migrants a “meaningful opportunity” to assert fear-based claims before deportation.
The 6-3 conservative majority’s ruling drew strong dissent from Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who called it a “gross abuse” of power and warned it could subject thousands to violence and torture. The case stems from a class action filed by immigrant rights groups after the Department of Homeland Security began fast-tracking deportations to unstable nations such as South Sudan—where the U.S. government has warned citizens not to travel due to armed conflict and kidnappings.
U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy had blocked the deportation of eight men to South Sudan, citing constitutional due process violations. Despite the Supreme Court's decision, his specific order preventing those deportations remains in effect.
The administration argues the deportations are necessary because many migrants with serious criminal convictions cannot be returned to their home countries. It claimed the South Sudan-bound migrants had committed violent crimes including murder and armed robbery.
Critics say the decision undermines legal safeguards and risks returning people to life-threatening situations. Trina Realmuto of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance called the ruling “horrifying,” stripping migrants of critical protections.
The case adds to a series of Supreme Court rulings favoring Trump’s immigration agenda since his return to office, including the rollback of temporary humanitarian protections and the expanded use of the Alien Enemies Act for deportations.