Trump Administration Appeals Third-Country Deportation Block to Supreme Court.

Attorney General Todd Blanche said Thursday the administration will seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court after the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked rapid deportations to third countries.

• 25,000 migrants have been deported to at least 29 third countries under Trump.
• Wednesday night, the appeals court dissolved its stay, putting the ruling into immediate effect.
• At least one deportation flight scheduled for Thursday was canceled after the ruling.
• The ruling did not bar third-country deportations outright — it invalidated the rapid-removal process.

Why it matters: The case tests how much due-process protection the government must provide before removing someone to a country they have no connection to.

• Migrants deported to countries including South Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, and the Central African Republic have reported being beaten, held at gunpoint, or sent to active conflict zones.
• The government uses third-country removal when a migrant's home country refuses to accept them or when logistical problems prevent return.

How 36 sources split on this story

Where they split: The core dispute is whether the administration can deport migrants to third countries before they have a chance to raise fears of persecution or torture in those countries.

What’s next: The administration had not filed its formal Supreme Court appeal as of early Thursday afternoon.

• Unless the Supreme Court issues a stay, DHS cannot resume removals under the invalidated policy.
• Will the Supreme Court grant an emergency stay before the administration files a full petition?
• How will the ruling affect the roughly three dozen third-country agreements the administration has already signed?