Federal judge declines to lift block on DHS deportations to third countries

A federal judge on Wednesday declined to lift a stay on the Department of Homeland Security's policy of deporting illegal aliens to third countries that will accept them.

"The emergency motion for a stay of the April 18 preliminary injunction pending appeal and for an immediate administrative stay is denied, the government not having met the standard for the relief sought," the order read.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, who issued the decision, insisted the policy was not legal, The Hill reported. The case is likely to reach the Supreme Court, which has already intervened to block an earlier injunction he imposed.

The case marks the latest instance of a lower court judge blocking the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts, despite a recent Supreme Court ruling in which the justices narrowed the scope of specific injunctions and urged lower court judges to be more conservative in their issuance.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.