First Circuit Pauses Ruling Against Trump Third‑Country Deportation Policy

The First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday granted the Trump administration’s emergency request to pause a lower‑court ruling that had found its third‑country removal process unconstitutional and ordered major changes. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, a Biden appointee, ruled last month that DHS cannot send migrants to so‑called third countries without first attempting removal to their home country or a country designated by an immigration judge, and without providing meaningful notice and a chance to raise fears of persecution through a “reasonable fear” interview. Administration lawyers told the appeals court that Murphy’s order created an “unworkable scheme,” threatened ongoing negotiations with receiving countries such as South Sudan, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala, and could derail “thousands” of planned deportations, including of people DHS labels serious criminals. Murphy had already stayed his own ruling for 15 days to allow an appeal, but without the First Circuit’s intervention it would have taken effect Thursday; the stay keeps the current third‑country deportation process in place while litigation continues and sets up a likely Supreme Court showdown, after earlier high‑court emergency orders let the policy proceed. The case, a class action brought by migrants, underscores the clash between due‑process protections in removal proceedings and the administration’s assertion of “undisputed authority” to deport certain noncitizens to any country willing to accept them, against a political backdrop in which senior Trump officials portray judges blocking such deportations as endangering public safety.