Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Trump Administration’s Third-Country Deportation Policy

A federal appeals court on Friday issued a ruling that requires U.S. immigration officials to provide migrants with a “meaningful opportunity to contest” deportation to nations where they have no connections. The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, based in Boston, represents a substantial legal setback for the Trump administration’s controversial policy of sending deportees to third countries.

The appellate panel largely upheld a lower court order that found the practice illegal. The court criticized Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations that permitted officials to relocate individuals without prior notice or the ability to challenge their destination. The policy in question, implemented last year, allowed authorities to send migrants to third nations if those countries provided blanket assurances against persecution or torture. In cases lacking such assurances, officials were instructed to provide some notice, though the court found these provisions insufficient.

The ruling affirms the judgment of U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy, who has frequently sanctioned the administration’s third-country deportation efforts on due process grounds. Writing for the panel, the judges stated that the right to oppose removal based on fears of persecution is rendered meaningless without prior notice of the destination and a real chance to fight it.

James Percival, the DHS General Counsel, responded late Friday on X, stating that the policy remains active because the First Circuit’s ruling is not yet in effect. “If you claim fear in your home country, DHS has the right to send you elsewhere,” Percival said.

Although the decision is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court, it marks a notable defeat in President Trump’s broader campaign against illegal immigration. The administration has established deportation agreements with more than 30 nations, including Liberia in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 25,000 migrants have been relocated under this policy, with approximately 80% sent to Mexico, according to advocacy group data.

CBS News reported earlier this week about a group of deportees flown to Liberia, including citizens from Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Venezuela, as well as individuals from other African nations. The migrants, currently staying in a hotel, stated they were not informed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that they would be removed to Liberia and were denied the chance to challenge the decision.

“I feel far away, on the other side of the world,” said Elvis Rodriguez Venturas, a native of Honduras, expressing his concerns to CBS News. The group’s experience highlights the human impact of a system that can uproot individuals and deposit them thousands of miles from their origins with little warning.