First Circuit Court Allows Trump Third-Country Deportations

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled 2-1 on March 16, 2026, to allow the Trump administration to resume deporting illegal immigrants to third countries. This decision overturned a February ruling by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, who had declared the policy illegal and argued that the government must first attempt removal to a migrant's country of citizenship.

The policy, guided by Department of Homeland Security memos, enables the U.S. to send deportees to nations such as Cameroon, South Sudan, and Eswatini based on diplomatic assurances that the individuals will not face torture. The administration specifically targets individuals the government describes as barbaric criminals, including murderers and drug traffickers. The U.S. Department of Justice argued that Judge Murphy's original order created an unworkable scheme that impaired the enforcement of immigration laws.

Attorney General Pam Bondi described the ruling as a key win for the administration's immigration agenda. The National Immigration Litigation Alliance, which sued to stop the practice on the grounds that it violates due process and federal statutes, noted that the order delays the implementation of the lower court's decision. The appeals court has expedited the legal schedule, granting both sides approximately one month to file briefs before hearing oral arguments on the merits of the case.