A US federal appeals court has blocked the Trump administration’s plan to return migrants to third countries. The matter may now proceed to the Supreme Court. On Friday, a three-judge panel of the First US Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston upheld a ruling originally made in February.
That ruling had declared the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) so-called “third-country return policy” unlawful.
On Friday, the three-judge bench in Boston stated that before sending a migrant to a third country, they must be given a “meaningful” opportunity to raise objections regarding potential torture or safety risks there. The court ruled that no one can be sent to a country with which they have no connection while bypassing the due process prescribed by law.
However, the court set aside a portion of the previous ruling on procedural grounds. That specific part concerned whether attempts must first be made to return asylum seekers to a country where they already have a connection or relationship.
According to data from “Third Country Deportation Watch”—a joint initiative by human rights organizations Refugees International and Human Rights First—the US, under the Trump administration, entered into agreements to send more than 25,000 asylum seekers to at least 29 third countries.
Previously, the Supreme Court had cleared the way for the deportation of eight individuals—including citizens of Cuba, Myanmar, and Vietnam—to South Sudan, a country for which the US State Department has issued warnings regarding risks of crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s immigration policies have faced multiple legal challenges this month. A federal court has also blocked plans to impose restrictions on visas for students and journalists.
