Immigrants asked the Supreme Court to keep the lower-court block on third-country deportations in place.
Why it matters: The case could shape how far the Trump administration can go in sending migrants to countries not named in their removal orders. It is another emergency-docket test of executive power in immigration enforcement.
- Immigrant plaintiffs asked the Supreme Court to leave a lower-court block in place while the case continues, SCOTUSblog reported.
- The dispute centers on the Trump administration's third-country removals policy, which AP described as allowing noncitizens with final removal orders to be sent to countries other than their country of origin.
- U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy in Massachusetts ruled the policy unlawful, and the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld that ruling, Reuters reported.
- The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Sept. 24 to pause the ruling and restart third-country deportations, according to AP and SCOTUSblog.
The Supreme Court is again being asked to weigh in on whether the Trump administration can deport people to countries not named in their removal orders.
According to SCOTUSblog, the immigrant plaintiffs want the justices to keep a lower-court block in place while the dispute continues.
AP has described the third-country removals policy as one that lets noncitizens with final removal orders be sent to countries other than their country of origin.
Judge Brian E. Murphy in Massachusetts ruled the policy unlawful, and Reuters reported that the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld that decision, including a requirement for a "meaningful" chance to raise safety concerns before removal.
The administration asked the Supreme Court on Sept. 24 to pause that ruling so removals could resume, AP reported. SCOTUSblog said the plaintiffs filed their response after that emergency request.
AP also said the plaintiffs pointed to a planned deportation flight from Louisiana to Burundi, Rwanda and the Central African Republic as the immediate trigger for the court fight.
Yes, but: The Supreme Court has not yet acted on the stay request, so the lower-court block remains in place for now.
What's next: The justices are expected to decide the administration's emergency stay request.