Trump administration’s ’third country’ deportation policy is unlawful, judge rules

The Trump administration's latest argumentation of deporting immigrants to “third countries” to which they person nary ties is unlawful and indispensable beryllium acceptable aside, a national justice ruled connected Wednesday (February 25, 2026) successful a lawsuit that already reached the nation's highest court.

U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy successful Massachusetts agreed to suspend his determination for 15 days, giving the authorities clip to entreaty his latest ruling successful the case. Murphy noted that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled successful the administration’s favour past year, pausing Murphy’s erstwhile determination and clearing the mode for a formation carrying respective migrants to implicit its travel to war-torn South Sudan, wherever they had nary ties.

Judge Murphy said migrants challenging the Department of Homeland Security's argumentation person the close to “meaningful notice” and an accidental to entity earlier they are removed to a 3rd country. The argumentation “extinguishes valid challenges to third-country removal by effecting removal earlier those challenges tin beryllium raised,” the justice concluded.

“These are our laws, and it is with profound gratitude for the unbelievable luck of being calved successful the United States of America that this Court affirms these and our nation’s bedrock principle: that nary ‘person’ successful this state whitethorn beryllium ‘deprived of life, liberty, oregon property, without owed process of law,’” Murphy wrote.

In June, the Supreme Court’s blimpish bulk recovered that migration officials tin rapidly deport radical to 3rd countries. Liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, saying the ruling gives the authorities peculiar treatment.

Mr. Murphy said President Donald Trump's medication has repeatedly violated — oregon tried to interruption — his orders. Last March, helium noted, the Defence Department deported astatine slightest six people members to El Salvador and Mexico without providing the process required nether a impermanent restraining bid that Murphy issued.

“The elemental world is that cipher knows the merits of immoderate idiosyncratic people member’s assertion due to the fact that (administration officials) are withholding the predicate fact: the state of removal,” wrote Murphy, who was nominated to the seat by Democratic President Joe Biden.

Mr. Murphy said the DHS third-country removal argumentation has targeted immigrants who were granted extortion from being sent backmost to their location countries, wherever they feared being tortured oregon persecuted successful different ways.

Eight men who were sent to South Sudan successful May had been convicted of crimes successful the U.S. and had last orders of removal, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials person said.