The Voice News: The Trump administration has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that currently blocks its plan to carry out swift deportations of immigrants to countries where they have no previous ties.
U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer filed an emergency appeal on Tuesday, challenging the decision made by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston. The judge had ruled that the deportation process violated immigrants’ rights, as they were not given adequate notice about their destinations or the chance to express fears of torture or death in those countries.
This legal battle follows the administration’s attempt to deport seven men — all previously convicted of serious crimes — to war-torn South Sudan with only hours’ notice and no opportunity for them to raise concerns. Judge Murphy halted the deportations and ordered the government to either keep them in custody abroad or bring them back to the U.S.
Sauer has now requested the Supreme Court to suspend Murphy’s April 18 ruling, which mandated certain procedures before implementing what are known as “third-country” deportations. It is unclear whether this suspension would directly impact the case involving the seven men, who are currently being held at a U.S. military base in Djibouti.
Sauer argued that the court-imposed requirements interfere with diplomatic and national security operations, creating what he described as a “diplomatic and logistical morass.” He stated that the judicial mandates were undermining the executive branch’s authority and were “wreaking havoc on the third-country removal process.”
The Justice Department contends it is not legally required to proactively ask deportees whether they fear being sent to a third country — regardless of whether they have criminal records.
Just last week, Judge Murphy also ordered the Trump administration to return a Guatemalan man to the U.S. after he was deported to Mexico, despite previously expressing fear due to being raped and harassed there for being gay.
In his ruling, Murphy emphasized the importance of the rule of law, saying, “The public benefits from living in a country where rules are followed and where promises are kept.” He referred to both federal law and international treaties that prohibit sending individuals to places where they may be tortured. The judge added that the cost of returning the Guatemalan man was minimal compared to maintaining America’s commitment to human rights.
This case is part of a broader legal strategy by the Trump administration, which has filed several emergency appeals with the Supreme Court in recent months. Earlier in May, the Court sided with the administration in a case allowing the termination of Temporary Protected Status for 350,000 Venezuelans.
Another pending appeal seeks to overturn a lower-court order that blocks the administration’s efforts to revoke the legal status of about 500,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who entered the U.S. through a Biden-era parole program.