'Repugnant': Legal experts blast new 'nightmare' ruling from Supreme Court

Legal experts were quick to respond to what they called a shocking ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday that would allow President Donald Trump to deport people to third countries where they have no ties.

Immigration Council senior fellow Aaron Reichlin-Melnick called the ruling "disastrous."

"This means they will send people to horrific situations with no due process — in direct violation of promises the Solicitor General made to the Court in previous cases. This greenlights sending people to be enslaved in Libya or tortured in any random foreign country," he said on X.

"When you think it can’t get worse, it does!" said former Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks.

Slate columnist Zachary D. Carter commented, "To understand Trump you have to understand that Alito, Thomas and Roberts were appointed by people named Bush."

"This decision is bad enough on the merits. But it also gives the government relief in a case in which it defied the district court at least *twice.* That’s quite a message to send to the government with respect to the costs of its litigation behavior in other cases—or the complete lack thereof," said Steve Vladeck, Georgetown Law professor.

Lawyer David Lurie recalled, "The Supreme Court ruled Martin Luther King was properly jailed for defying a patently unconditional court order."

Immigration lawyer Matt Cameron sounded the alarm, "Every American should know that as of June 2025 only ONE-THIRD of the U.S. Supreme Court agrees with the following statement as it pertains to the federal government deporting people in violation of court orders: 'In matters of life and death, it is best to proceed with caution.'"

"The majority opinion in this nightmare of a shadow docket case is one paragraph, and provides no justification or reasoning," he added. "Justice Sotomayor's response (joined by Jackson & Kagan) is 18 pages, and resounds with the kind of moral clarity only our greatest living dissenter can provide."

He also highlighted the quote from Justice Sonia Sotomayor, "That use of discretion is as incomprehensible as it is inexcusable."

"Finally, Sotomayor correctly upbraids the majority for being more concerned about a federal judge's attempt to hold the government accountable to due process however he could than the very real possibilities of torture & death," Cameron continued.

"SCOTUS justices who voted for this should be removed from the bench. Ideally, with the same amount of process they say is owed to people facing torture and death," blasted lawyer Joe Gordon, who helps defend against removal for migrants.

"This is a horrifying ruling that shows a disdain for basic human rights principles — made all the more unconscionable by the fact that the Republican appointees did so with no reasoning and on the shadow docket," legal reporter Chris Geidner of LawDork wrote on Bluesky.

Law Professor Jerry Edwards agreed, replying, "Utterly repugnant. I really need Democrats to remember the way the six Republicans on SCOTUS enabled Trump's lawlessness when they next take power. They are not our friends. They did not in any meaningful way defend the rule of law or democracy. Do not let them undermine you at every turn."

The far-right celebrated the ruling, however.

A pro-Trump homeland security news site celebrated the ruling, claiming, "Major Win For Trump Administration and America! Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Trump's favor on deporting illegal aliens to a 3rd country! Mass Deportations Coming!"

"GREAT! FIRE UP THE DEPORTATION PLANES!" cheered conservative writer Nick Sortor, calling it a "huge win."