The United States Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, is losing interest in American needs and putting more energy into what President Donald Trump’s administration demands. On Sept. 28, the Supreme Court published its rulings on multiple issues, including immigration and climate change, but all these cases circle back to one thing: making this administration more powerful than it should be.
One of the most notable rulings concerned deportation, specifically sending immigrants to countries other than their own. This process is known as third-country deportation, and according to the American Immigration Council, it can only legally happen “after someone has formally been ordered deported from the United States.” The Supreme Court gave Trump a temporary order toward third-country deportations and will finalize the decision in December.
However, there is more to the conversation.
ProPublica recently published an article about the rising number of American citizens detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It tallied and recorded more than 500 cases of unlawful detention, including wrongful questioning of the citizenship of people of color, people held for at least a day without contact with their families and deportation of children.
ICE has the right to legally detain people under certain circumstances, especially if they are undocumented or allegedly hurt or interfered with an officer. Yet, ProPublica's findings show how this affects more American citizens than undocumented immigrants.
Further in the article, ProPublica obtained an ICE voice memo from a whistleblower that confirmed agents are arresting citizens. The memo also confirmed agents are arresting people based on prejudice against skin color, identity and often judging a person’s accent.
This evidence proves the unjust system established by the Trump administration surrounding immigration. The Supreme Court is giving ICE a green light to continue deporting citizens to countries they are not familiar with. According to NPR, the Supreme Court recognizes Trump’s authority over the border, but the justices need to understand the implications of third-country deportations.
Firstly, the American Immigration Council also noted these deportations must send immigrants to the most “obvious” country or a country where someone lived in the past. However, the government, if third-country deportations are legal, can override the country to which someone is sent with another that would be “prejudicial to the interests of the United States.”
This is more than just an immigration issue and directly affects human rights. According to New York University’s Journal of International Law and Politics, the Trump administration has always sent people to countries they were never citizens of. In a report by New York University’s Journal of International Law and Politics, most immigrants were sent to South Sudan in recent years, a country in constant war and known for torture, unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions.
This is unsettling as a human being because it is unjust to send people to another country known for human rights violations. It seems empathy for these individuals is a little too much these days.
MS NOW also noted this is affecting taxpayers, with hundreds of millions of dollars now down the drain toward the Trump administration. Through a Washington Post investigation, at least $410 million is estimated to be spent on third-country deportations and $81 million in extra payments directed toward foreign governments.
There are other implications, including informing the person where they are being sent. However, knowing this administration’s ways, it will fail at keeping third-country deportations safe, all thanks to the highest court in the U.S.
This narrative of dangerous, “illegal” immigrants only extends President Trump’s propaganda trail, and the Supreme Court is continuously making it worse. With midterms around the corner, it is important to take a stance on what is right. Registration for this election has passed, but make your voice heard. Make sure to request an absentee ballot if needed or find your polling location.
Natalie Saddler is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Natalie about their column? Email them at ns505423@ohio.edu.
