The US Supreme Court has temporarily cleared the Trump administration to resume deporting migrants to countries other than their own without giving them an opportunity to challenge the destination on grounds of possible persecution or torture.
The 6-3 emergency ruling on Tuesday suspended a lower-court decision that had required immigration authorities to provide adequate notice and allow migrants to raise concerns before they were removed to so-called third countries. The three liberal justices dissented.
The Supreme Court’s order does not settle whether the policy is ultimately lawful. The justices agreed to hear the broader case in December, leaving the current arrangement in place while the legal challenge proceeds.
The administration has entered agreements with dozens of countries to accept migrants who cannot or will not be returned directly to their countries of origin. More than 25,000 migrants have been deported to at least 29 countries under the policy, according to figures cited by human rights groups.
The policy has drawn criticism from immigration lawyers and UN human rights experts, who say some deportees could face detention, persecution or other forms of abuse in countries where they have no ties. The administration argues that receiving countries have provided assurances that deportees will not be persecuted or tortured.
The December hearing will determine the legal questions surrounding the policy and could shape the future of US immigration enforcement.
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