US Supreme Court Allows Continuation of Third-Country Deportations

The United States Supreme Court has permitted the Trump administration to continue third-country deportations, reversing a lower-court ruling that had paused such removals due to due process concerns. On September 29, 2026, the high court granted the administration's emergency request to resume deportations, which involve sending immigrants to countries with which they may have no connection. The court's order was unsigned, as is customary for emergency petitions, and did not provide an explanation or a voting record. However, the court's three left-leaning justices—Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Elena Kagan—indicated they would have denied the petition. The Supreme Court's decision to pause the lower court ruling is temporary, with arguments scheduled for December. This hearing follows the Trump administration's appeal against the ruling by Judge Brian Murphy in Boston, Massachusetts, who stated that immigrants must have a 'meaningful' opportunity to raise safety concerns before being removed to third-party countries. Murphy noted that some immigrants may have been denied the chance to challenge their deportations, which could violate their due process rights. This is not the first time the Supreme Court has addressed the issue of third-country deportations, which have increased since Trump took office in 2025. In June 2025, the Supreme Court allowed such removals to proceed, facilitating the deportation of eight men to South Sudan, a country the US State Department warns against visiting due to crime and armed conflict. The Department of Homeland Security described the removals as a 'win,' while rights groups criticized the move as a violation of legal protections. Concerns have been raised regarding the human rights records of countries receiving deportees, as third-country deportations can circumvent court orders that protect immigrants from being sent back to their home countries due to persecution fears. Advocates have pointed out that some third-party countries have returned deportees, including asylum seekers, to places where they face risks of torture or harm. At least 35 countries have signed agreements with the Trump administration to accept third-country nationals, with estimates suggesting that over 25,000 individuals have been subjected to these deportations. On September 28, 2026, UN human rights experts urged the US government to halt such removals, highlighting the heightened risk of abuse for vulnerable groups, including children, women, persons with disabilities, victims of trafficking, LGBT individuals, and human rights defenders. On September 29, Burundi became the latest country to agree to accept non-citizen deportations, with officials stating that only individuals not facing prosecution and with no links to 'terrorism' would be accepted.