Sat Mar 29 05:11:02 UTC 2025: ## US Judge Blocks Trump-Era Deportation Policy to Third Countries
**Washington D.C., March 29, 2025** – A federal judge has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s policy of deporting individuals to third countries without allowing them to argue that such deportation would endanger their safety. US District Judge Brian E. Murphy ruled that those facing deportation must be given a chance to demonstrate that their safety is at risk in the proposed destination country.
The ruling, issued Friday, is a blow to the administration’s practice of transferring individuals to countries like Panama, Costa Rica, and El Salvador when repatriation to their home countries proves difficult. The judge’s order remains in effect until the case progresses.
The decision comes in response to a lawsuit filed by advocacy groups, including the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, on behalf of individuals deported or facing imminent deportation to third countries. One plaintiff, a Guatemalan man, was sent to Mexico after a US immigration judge deemed it unsafe to return him to Guatemala, despite not being given the opportunity to contest his transfer to Mexico. Another plaintiff, facing deportation from Honduras, fears similar treatment.
The Department of Homeland Security has not yet commented on the ruling, though administration lawyers argued that the temporary halt would impede immigration enforcement. Judge Murphy, a Biden appointee, sided with the plaintiffs, highlighting concerns about the safety of those deported under the previous administration’s policy. The case raises significant questions about due process and the safety of deported individuals.
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