A federal appeals court on Friday mostly upheld a lower district court’s ruling that blocked a Trump administration policy of swiftly deporting illegal immigrants to so-called third countries, or nations to which they have no connection.
In a unanimous decision from a three-judge panel for the First Circuit Court of Appeals, the ruling raised concerns about “blanket assurances” from third countries that promise U.S. deportees won’t be tortured or persecuted, saying this promise is not sufficient and does not properly allow foreign nationals to raise persecution or torture concerns.
“We have some difficulty seeing how a receiving country can credibly provide blanket assurances that all removed noncitizens will not be persecuted or tortured there unless it intends to provide them with some sort of affirmative protection against rogue agents and non-state actors,” Circuit Judge Seth Aframe wrote for the majority….