U.S. Completes Iraq Withdrawal; Supreme Court Revives Third-Country Deportations

Washington — The United States has completed its military withdrawal from Iraq, ending a presence that spanned more than two decades following the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. In response to the departure, Iraqi officials have designated Tuesday as “Sovereignty Day.” However, the exit occurs against a backdrop of heightened instability, as attacks associated with the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict have sparked concerns regarding Iraq’s capacity to defend itself without American air defense support.

The Kurdish region of Iraq has experienced significant disruptions during the war with Iran, prompting local leaders to express alarm over their defensive vulnerabilities. This event marks the second time U.S. troops have left the country; a previous withdrawal occurred in 2011 before forces returned three years later to combat the Islamic State. While Iran-backed militias are celebrating the conclusion of the deployment, many Iraqi citizens view the holiday through the lens of a long-standing desire for peace and normalcy for their families, according to NPR correspondent Jane Arraf.

In a separate development, the U.S. Supreme Court has granted the Trump administration a temporary victory regarding immigration enforcement. The court allowed the resumption of deporting migrants to third countries not specified in their original removal orders. Full arguments on the matter are scheduled for December. The court did not provide immediate reasoning for staying a lower-court injunction that had blocked the policy, but it requested briefs from both parties addressing whether lower courts possess the authority to intervene and whether the practice contravenes due process clauses or prohibitions against torture.