Appeals Court Blocks Trump Administration's Third-Country Deportation Scheme

On Wednesday the First Circuit Court of Appeals formally struck down the Trump administration's format for sending illegal immigrants to third-party countries, overturning a stay that had kept the policy in place during ongoing litigation. The decision affirmed a February 2026 ruling by Judge Brian Murphy, who found the practice breached migrants' due-process protections because it could relocate them to unknown or dangerous nations without notice.

ICE had attempted to deport a Peruvian national, John Doe, to Ghana, arguing the appellate court had not yet issued a final mandate; the court's brief order clarified that the prior stay was dissolved. Judges Seth Aframe and two other panel members, both appointed by President Biden, argued that denying migrants the ability to contest their destination would strip a substantial group of non-citizens of essential protections.

The ruling now requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide a "meaningful" opportunity for migrants to raise safety concerns before any third-country removal. This development curtails a key element of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement strategy.