President Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to make it easier for his administration to deport immigrants to countries other than their home country, in a move that has sparked controversy and raised concerns about human rights.
The policy, which was adopted after the administration returned to power, allows the Department of Homeland Security to deport immigrants without first notifying them or giving them a chance to claim they risk persecution, torture, or death in a third-party country. This is despite a lower court ruling that blocked the administration from implementing this policy, citing concerns about the potential for wrongful removals.
Last week, US District Judge Brian Murphy issued an injunction requiring the government to provide migrants with written notice and a chance to demonstrate they have a credible fear of persecution or torture in a third-party country. However, the Trump administration claims that these requirements are not included in the law and argue that they already have procedures in place to ensure that migrants are not persecuted.
The Trump administration has also attempted to transfer detainees to war-torn South Sudan without giving them a meaningful opportunity to contest their removal. This move was blocked by Judge Murphy, who said it was “impossible” for the migrants to have an opportunity to object due to the truncated timeline and limited access to lawyers or family members.
The Trump administration is now seeking emergency relief from the Supreme Court, arguing that it has been put in an intolerable situation by being forced to hold migrants in military facilities on foreign soil or bring them back to America. However, immigrant advocacy groups have expressed alarm over reported plans to send migrants to Libya and Saudi Arabia, citing concerns about human rights.
The appeals court rejected the government’s request to pause Murphy’s ruling, stating that it would result in irreparable harm from wrongful removals. The Trump administration has also been criticized for its handling of these cases, with Judge Murphy saying that the administration “unquestionably” violated his order when trying to transfer detainees to South Sudan.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/27/politics/south-sudan-deportations-trump-supreme-court