WASHINGTON (Azat TV) – A United States federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration’s policy of swiftly deporting migrants to countries other than their own, without offering them legal recourse, is unlawful. US District Judge Brian Murphy declared the ‘third-country’ deportation policy invalid on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, marking a significant legal challenge to former President Donald Trump’s stringent immigration enforcement campaign. The ruling, however, has been temporarily put on hold for 15 days to allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prepare a potential appeal to the Supreme Court.
The decision stems from a class-action lawsuit brought by immigrants facing deportation to countries with which they had no prior connection. Judge Murphy emphasized in his ruling that such rapid deportations violate due process – the constitutional right to fair legal proceedings – by denying migrants an opportunity to appeal their removal. He stated that individuals cannot be sent to an “unfamiliar and potentially dangerous country” without any legal recourse.
Judge Murphy Affirms Due Process in Deportation Ruling
In his detailed decision, Judge Brian Murphy underscored the fundamental importance of due process in US law. He wrote, “It is not fine, nor is it legal,” to deport migrants without proper consideration of their cases. Murphy criticized the administration’s argument that it would be acceptable to deport migrants to third-party countries as long as the DHS was unaware of immediate threats upon arrival. He countered that this approach obscures the specific details of each case, preventing courts from determining the legality of individual deportations.
Murphy highlighted that the policy fails to disclose critical information, such as the specific country of removal, which he deemed a ‘predicate fact’ necessary for any judicial review. “The simple reality is that nobody knows the merits of any individual class member’s claim because [administration officials] are withholding the predicate fact: the country of removal,” Murphy stated in his ruling, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Legal Battles Over Third-Country Deportations Continue
This ruling represents the latest in a series of legal setbacks for the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies. Former President Trump has consistently advocated for the removal of undocumented immigrants, but critics argue that his methods have frequently bypassed due process rights. Trina Realmuto, a lawyer for the plaintiffs from the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, praised Murphy’s ruling, noting that under the government’s policy, individuals have been ‘forcibly returned to countries where US immigration judges have found they will be persecuted or tortured.’ Realmuto described the ruling as a “forceful statement” regarding the policy’s constitutionality.
Judge Murphy has previously ruled against efforts to quickly deport migrants to countries where they lack ties. Last year, the conservative-majority Supreme Court overturned an injunction Murphy had issued in April, which aimed to protect the due process rights of migrants facing deportation to third-party countries. That injunction was part of a case involving the Trump administration’s attempt to send eight men to South Sudan, despite concerns about human rights conditions there. The current 15-day pause in the ruling’s effect is intended to provide the administration an opportunity to appeal, potentially leading to another Supreme Court review, as noted by WIONews.
Implications for Trump’s Immigration Enforcement Policy
The Trump administration has reportedly reached agreements with nearly a dozen nations to accept deportees, and has paid approximately $32 million to five countries, including El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, Eswatini, and Palau, to accept around 300 individuals, according to WIONews. These agreements are now under increased scrutiny following Judge Murphy’s decision.
The consistent legal challenges against the Trump administration’s immigration policies, culminating in Judge Murphy’s latest ruling, underscore a fundamental tension between expedited enforcement and constitutional due process rights. This ongoing judicial oversight suggests that future immigration reforms, regardless of administration, will likely face intense scrutiny regarding their adherence to established legal protections for migrants.