The US Supreme Court has allowed the federal government to resume expedited deportations of migrants to third countries — nations other than a migrant's country of origin — while litigation over the policy continues in the lower courts.

The order, issued "for now," lifts a lower-court injunction that had blocked the practice. The Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of the policy. The case now returns to the lower courts, where the legal challenge will proceed.

The policy at issue permits immigration authorities to remove migrants to third countries rather than returning them to their home countries. Challengers argue the process does not give migrants a meaningful chance to raise fears of persecution, torture, or other dangers they could face in a third country before removal.

A lower court had previously blocked the practice, finding that migrants must receive notice and a genuine opportunity to object to a third-country removal based on such fears. That injunction is now paused, and the faster deportation process may resume while the underlying case continues.

Who is affected

The decision affects migrants in US removal proceedings whom the government seeks to deport to countries other than their own. During the pause on the injunction, the government may again pursue third-country removals on an expedited basis.

Advocates for migrants had warned that restarting the policy could expose people to removal to nations where they have no connections and may face danger, without adequate procedural safeguards.

What the Supreme Court said

The Court's order was procedural: it permits the policy to take effect temporarily while litigation proceeds, and it does not constitute a final judgment on whether the policy is lawful. Justices did not immediately explain their reasoning in the brief order.

The case will continue in the lower courts, and a final ruling on the legality of expedited third-country deportations remains pending.

What does not change

The Court's action does not alter other immigration rules, asylum eligibility standards, or existing deportation procedures to a migrant's country of origin. It addresses only the specific question of whether the government may resume faster third-country removals while the broader legal challenge is resolved.

Migrants currently in removal proceedings should monitor announcements from US immigration authorities and official court filings, as the litigation may produce further changes to how third-country removals are carried out.