US Supreme Court lifts stay on third‑country deportations for Trump administration

The high court granted an emergency request on Tuesday, suspending a lower‑court order that had paused the practice.

By Felo News Desk · Published Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:14:12 GMT

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday granted an emergency petition that suspends a lower‑court ruling restricting "third‑country" deportations, allowing the Trump administration to resume sending migrants to nations other than their own while the case is heard in December.

What happened

The court issued an unsigned emergency order that halts the appeals‑court decision which had required the government to give migrants effective notice of their destination and a chance to raise persecution concerns. Federal attorneys said the lower‑court ruling had forced the cancellation of a deportation flight carrying about 70 people bound for three countries. The Supreme Court’s order does not explain how the justices voted.

What the reports add

France24 noted that the high court granted the Trump administration’s request to suspend the lower‑court ruling, while the three liberal justices – Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan – said they would have denied the petition. Al Jazeera reported that the order was unsigned, as is typical for emergency petitions, and that the court did not provide an explanation or a vote tally. The Independent added that the order halts the appeals‑court ruling for now and that the administration has previously used secret agreements to deport roughly 25,000 people to more than two dozen countries, most often to Mexico.

What was said

France24 quoted the court’s action as an "emergency request" granted to the Trump administration. Al Jazeera reported that the three left‑leaning justices indicated they would have denied the petition. The Independent cited federal attorneys saying the lower‑court decision forced the cancellation of a flight with about 70 migrants.

How it came about

The policy stems from a Trump‑era directive that permits deportations to third countries when a migrant’s home nation refuses repatriation or cannot accept them. Earlier this year, the administration defended the practice as necessary for speeding up removals, after President Trump returned to office in 2025 and pledged to expel millions of undocumented migrants. Felo previously covered the Supreme Court’s docket on other Trump‑related matters, including the administration’s emergency appeal on gender‑affirming care in federal prisons (link) and the court’s decision on mail‑ballot rules (link).

Key facts

The US Supreme Court issued an unsigned emergency order suspending a lower‑court ruling on third‑country deportations. (france24.com)
The order allows the Trump administration to resume deportations while the case is heard in December. (aljazeera.com)
Three liberal justices – Sotomayor, Jackson and Kagan – said they would have denied the emergency request. (aljazeera.com)
Federal attorneys said the lower‑court decision had forced the cancellation of a flight carrying about 70 migrants. (independent.co.uk)