US appeals court rejects Trump third-country deportation policy

A U.S. federal appeals court has rejected a Trump administration policy that allowed for the rapid deportation of migrants to third countries without providing them a meaningful opportunity to raise safety concerns. The ruling, issued on Friday, September 18, 2026, largely upholds a lower court decision that found the Department of Homeland Security's policy unlawful. A three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston ruled that migrants must be given a chance to contest removal to a country where they fear persecution or torture. The decision comes in a class-action lawsuit that has become a key test of due process protections for individuals facing deportation to nations with which they have no connection. Writing for the unanimous panel, U.S. Circuit Judge Seth Aframe stated that the government's interpretation of immigration law would deny protections to a substantial number of people sent to third countries without notice of their destination. The court largely upheld a February ruling by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, who had concluded the policy failed to protect migrants' rights.