Overview

• U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy issued a temporary restraining order barring the Trump administration from deporting migrants to Libya and Saudi Arabia without prior notice and a chance to contest their removal.
• The court's decision reaffirms earlier injunctions requiring due process, including written notice and the opportunity to raise fear-based claims under international law.
• Reports indicate U.S. officials had prepared military flights to deport detainees from Laos, Vietnam, and the Philippines to Libya, despite Libya's lack of agreement to accept deportees.
• Libya's rival governments have publicly denied any coordination with the U.S. on deportation plans, and the country remains embroiled in conflict with documented abuses against migrants in detention facilities.
• The Trump administration has previously pursued third-country deportations to nations like El Salvador, Panama, and Costa Rica, raising broader concerns about non-refoulement obligations and human rights violations.