Supreme Court allows Trump’s ‘third country’ deportation policy

The Supreme Court on Tuesday removed obstacles to the Trump administration deporting certain immigrants to “third countries” where they have no connections.

The justices, with the court’s three liberals dissenting, granted an emergency request filed by the government seeking to block an appeals court ruling that said the current process is unlawful because the affected people are not given a proper chance to raise concerns about safety risks in violation of federal immigration law.

In the brief unsigned order, the court also said it would hear oral arguments in December and issue a definitive ruling on the legal questions raised in the litigation.

“A bad day for criminal illegals and open borders activists alike. It’s not too late to get $3,000 and a flight home,” James Percival, general counsel of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.

The Supreme Court last year allowed the policy to move forward after it was blocked by lower courts at an earlier stage of the litigation. It also later clarified its decision, at the request of the Trump administration, making it clear it applied to eight men the government wanted to send to South Sudan.

Since Trump’s second term began in January 2025, thousands of people have been sent to third countries, including South Sudan, Eswatini and Rwanda.