The Supreme Court on Monday granted the Trump administration’s request to stay a lower court injunction blocking them from deporting individuals to third countries without prior notice— a near-term win for the Trump administration as it looks to quickly enforce its immigration crackdown. Justices on the high court ruled 6-3 to stay the lower court injunction, with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting. Sotomayor criticized the court’s intervention, stating that the administration has repeatedly defied judicial orders.
The issue centered on a group of migrants challenging their removals to third countries, or countries not their country of origin. Lawyers for these migrants had argued that the Trump administration’s actions violated due process by failing to provide notice or opportunity for legal challenge. Judge Brian Murphy previously ordered all migrants slated for third-country deportation to remain in U.S. custody until they could undergo a ‘reasonable fear interview.’ The Supreme Court’s decision allows the administration to proceed with its immigration crackdown, despite ongoing legal challenges.