US Appeals Court Blocks Trump's Third-Country Deportation
A federal appeals court has ruled the Trump administration's policy of rapidly deporting migrants to countries other than their own is unlawful, affirming
A US federal appeals court has blocked a Trump administration policy that allowed for the rapid deportation of migrants to countries with which they have no ties. The ruling, issued on Friday by a three-judge panel in Boston, could next be appealed to the Supreme Court.
The 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld a lower court's February finding that the Department of Homeland Security's third-country removal policy was unlawful. The case originated from a class-action lawsuit examining the due process rights of migrants facing deportation to unfamiliar nations.
Court Affirms Right to Raise Safety Concerns
Writing for the panel, US Circuit Judge Seth Aframe stated that migrants must be given a meaningful opportunity to voice safety concerns before removal. This rejected the Trump administration's narrower legal interpretation. The court did overturn one procedural part of the lower ruling, related to whether officials must first attempt deportation to countries where a migrant has established ties.
Plaintiffs' lawyer Trina Realmuto said the decision confirms that core protections cannot be circumvented by sending someone to a country not involved in their legal proceedings. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment, but the Trump administration is expected to appeal.
Scope of the Controversial Policy
The contested policy, adopted in March 2025, permitted removals with minimal notice if the US had diplomatic assurances against persecution from the receiving country. Under President Trump, the US has struck agreements allowing it to send tens of thousands of migrants to dozens of third countries.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Migrants sent to third countries | More than 25,000 |
| Number of third countries involved | At least 29 |
| Most frequent destination | Mexico |
These figures come from Third Country Deportation Watch, a tracker run by the rights groups Refugees International and Human Rights First.
Previous Supreme Court Involvement
This is not the first time the policy has reached the nation's highest court. In 2025, the Supreme Court cleared the way for eight men to be deported to South Sudan, a country the US State Department warns against visiting due to crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict. The group included nationals of Cuba, Myanmar, and Vietnam. The Department of Homeland Security called those removals a win, while rights groups argued they violated fundamental protections.
Broader Immigration Setbacks
The ruling represents another legal setback for the Trump administration's immigration agenda this month. Separately, a federal judge blocked planned caps on student and journalist visas, criticizing the government's justification as exceptionally weak. A coalition of 22 states and Washington, DC, has also sued to stop a rule that would allow officials to deny green cards to immigrants who lawfully use public benefits.
