The Supreme Court has, for the moment, let the federal government keep moving forward with a policy of swiftly deporting some immigrants to countries other than their home country, according to a Wednesday morning news roundup from the public radio service WORLD.
The practice, often called third-country removal, involves sending someone to a country other than the one they originally came from, typically when the home country will not accept them back or when other logistical or diplomatic obstacles stand in the way. It has been a point of legal dispute for more than a year, with immigrant advocates arguing that people deported this way often get too little notice or opportunity to raise safety concerns about the country they are being sent to, and administration officials countering that the approach is a necessary tool for enforcing removal orders when a person's home country will not cooperate.
Wednesday's development means that, at least for now, the government can continue using this approach while the underlying legal challenges continue to work their way through the courts. As is often the case with emergency orders of this kind, the court's action addresses only whether the policy can continue during litigation, not whether it is ultimately lawful, so the broader legal question remains open.
The ruling is one piece of a broader and closely watched debate this year over how the government carries out deportations, a debate that has also touched federal agencies and congressional negotiations over immigration enforcement funding.
Watch for the underlying case to continue through the lower courts, since Wednesday's order addressed only whether the policy can continue in the meantime.
What is a third-country deportation?
It is when the government deports someone to a country other than their home country, often because their home country will not accept their return.
Did the Supreme Court rule the policy is legal?
No. The order allows the policy to continue while the case proceeds, but does not decide the underlying legal question.