It blocks removing noncitizens to countries other than their place of origin.
President Donald Trump listens to a question from a reporter as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, April 17, 2025, in Washington.
A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from deporting noncitizens to countries other than their place of origin without due process. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy issued an injunction that bars the Trump administration from deporting any noncitizen to a country not explicitly mentioned in their order or removal without first allowing them to raise concerns about their safety.
The ruling throws a roadblock in the Trump administration's policy of removing noncitizens to countries like El Salvador, Honduras, or Panama, even if the noncitizens lack an order of removal to those countries.
The Trump administration last month invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport two planeloads of alleged Venezuelan gang members to the CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador with little-to-no due process.
Judge Murphy noted that the Trump administration officials "have applied and will continue to apply the alleged policy of removing aliens to third countries without notice and an opportunity to be heard on fear-based claims -- in other words, without due process.".
Separately, Judge Murphy is considering whether the Trump administration violated his recent temporary restraining order when it removed at least three men to El Salvador without allowing them to raise concerns about their safety. »
