The Supreme Court issued a firm rebuke to a federal district judge Thursday, rejecting what it described as an attempt to defy a recent high court order allowing the Trump administration to resume deportations of illegal immigrants to third countries.
In a 7-2 decision, the Court found that District Judge Brian Murphy, appointed by former President Joe Biden, overstepped his judicial authority.
He claimed his own order blocking the deportation of eight illegal immigrants to South Sudan still stood, despite the Supreme Court’s prior ruling allowing third-country removals.
“Our June 23 order stayed the April 18 preliminary injunction in full,” the majority wrote. “The May 21 remedial order cannot now be used to enforce an injunction that our stay rendered unenforceable.”
The case centers on the Trump administration’s effort to expedite removals of individuals who entered the U.S. illegally by sending them to third countries not listed in their original deportation orders.
After the Supreme Court issued its June 23 ruling lifting a lower court’s injunction, the administration proceeded with enforcement actions.
Just hours later, however, Judge Murphy insisted that an earlier ruling he issued still prevented the deportation of eight illegal immigrants to South Sudan.
In response, the administration