The U.S. Supreme Court again backed the Trump administration on migrant deportations.
Limits protecting eight men from removal to South Sudan were lifted Thursday.
This decision clarifies a prior June 23 ruling by the high court.
Boston-based U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy had imposed safeguards.
His injunction required migrants destined for “third countries” to express fears of torture.
The Supreme Court’s latest action nullifies these protective measures.
The Justice Department had sought clarification on the previous order.
They accused Judge Murphy of “lawless defiance” for his continued rulings.
South Sudan remains a nation flagged for crime and armed conflict.
Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented from the decision.
Sotomayor labeled the prior June 23 ruling a “gross abuse” of power.
She warned of exposing “thousands to the risk of torture or death.”
The administration asserts its third-country policy is vital for removing criminal migrants.
Their home nations often refuse to accept them back.
This legal battle highlights the contentious nature of immigration enforcement.
Murphy’s initial ruling questioned the policy’s constitutionality.
He found it likely violated due process requirements.
The government maintains it received diplomatic assurances from South Sudan.