The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, allowed the Trump administration to resume — for now — deporting migrants to countries not listed in their removal orders. The decision pauses a lower-court ruling that had blocked the policy. The Court did not explain its reasoning, but it asked both sides to address two questions ahead of full arguments in December: whether lower courts had the authority to intervene, and whether the policy violates due process or protections against torture.

Who the policy affects

Third-country removals allow the U.S. government to send immigrants to a country other than their own when their home countries refuse to accept them. The Supreme Court's order means the administration can again carry out such removals while litigation continues, and the Supreme Court's December hearing will determine whether the practice survives permanent legal scrutiny.

Immigration advocates warn the policy could cause irreparable damage to those removed. One immigrant challenging the policy says he fears being sent to a country where he would not receive treatment for his severe mental illness. Advocates have argued the procedure denies migrants a meaningful chance to contest transfer to a third country before removal.

Related case: Mahmoud Khalil

The Court's order comes as another high-profile deportation fight continues. Mahmoud Khalil, who became a prominent face of Columbia University's pro-Palestinian movement, is fighting the Trump administration's effort to deport him. He told NPR's Fresh Air that 104 days in immigration detention strengthened his resolve to challenge the case.

U.S. completes withdrawal from Iraq

In a separate development with migration and security implications for the region, the last U.S. forces left Iraq on September 30, 2026, more than two decades after the U.S.-led invasion that overthrew Saddam Hussein. Iraq has declared the date "Sovereignty Day," a national holiday.

The withdrawal takes place as attacks linked to the U.S.-Iran war raise new questions about Iraq's ability to defend itself without U.S. air defenses. The Kurdish region of Iraq has been hit especially hard during the conflict, NPR's Jane Arraf reports, leaving its leaders concerned about their defenses.

This is not the first U.S. exit from the country. American troops also withdrew in 2011, then returned three years later to help fight ISIS. Iran-backed militias are celebrating the latest pullout. Arraf says many Iraqis marking the holiday today want what they have long wanted for their families: a normal, peaceful life.

What to watch

For foreign nationals in the United States with final removal orders, the immediate practical effect of the Supreme Court's order is that removals to third countries may proceed while the case is pending. The outcome of the December arguments before the Court will decide whether the policy stands, is struck down, or is remanded with instructions on procedural protections.

Readers following individual immigration matters should rely on the Supreme Court's published orders and filings in the case, as well as official announcements from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Justice, for authoritative guidance on how the policy is being implemented.

This article reports publicly available information and does not constitute legal advice for any individual case.