The U.S. military is expected to complete the total withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq on Wednesday after a 12-year presence prompted by the war against the Islamic State militant group ISIS.
It will be the second time that the U.S. has withdrawn all of its military forces from Iraq.
In 2011, the U.S. pulled out after an eight-year presence that began with the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. U.S. troops returned in 2014 as ISIS conquered wide swaths of Syria and northern Iraq and threatened the approaches to Baghdad. The U.S. defeated ISIS militarily in 2019, but the continued U.S. presence was seen as a necessary one to prevent a resurgence of ISIS.
The withdrawal was negotiated with Iraq by the Biden administration in 2024, and the Trump administration has continued with the withdrawal plan that set Sept. 30 as the final pullout date. But the U.S. war with Iran has created a different regional situation for Iraq and the United States than when the deal was agreed upon.
Iraq and Iran have a shared Shiite cultural heritage and Iran has militarily assisted Shiite-militias inside Iraq. It remains a question how far Iran will be able to increase its presence and influence in Iraq and whether ISIS could become resurgent.
In recent years, there had been about 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq.
Throughout this year, the U.S. has been consolidating its positions throughout the country into northern Iraq, but has quietly been moving forces out of Erbil since the start of the war with Iran. In recent months the reduction of forces proceeded along and there has been a very small U.S. presence in northern Iraq for quite some time.
Earlier this year the U.S. withdrew its forces from eastern Syria. That was an unplanned withdrawal spurred by the new Syrian government’s push against the United States’ Syrian Kurdish partners.
With Wednesday’s expected withdrawal, the U.S. will once again end a military presence inside of Iraq that has stretched for more than two decades and was the scene of approximately 4,500 U.S. military deaths, the vast majority occurring between 2003-2011.
A detailed 3D rendering of planet Earth highlights the European continent and the North Atlantic Ocean. Image map textures source: www.solarsystemscope.com (Constantine Johnny/Getty Images)
The combination of widespread extreme heat and human-caused air pollution has exposed nearly 40% of the global population to dangerous levels of ground-level ozone so far this year, according to a new report by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).
The analysis shows that ozone pollution across much of the Northern Hemisphere ranks above the recommended level by the World Health Organization (WHO). Year to date, Asia is the continent most impacted by ozone pollution globally, followed by Europe and North America, according to the report.
The researchers said ground-level ozone, a pollutant that develops when specific pollutants react with sunlight and high temperatures, harms human health, ecosystems and crop yields.
“Ozone pollution is a stark reminder of how interconnected our atmosphere, climate, health, and livelihoods really are, with pollution and our changing climate impacting the chemistry of the air we breathe, determining the health of our ecosystems, and even governing our ability to grow food,” Laurence Rouil, director of CAMS, said in a statement.
The report, called Atmosphere Watch, is a new publication by CAMS. The organization provides one of the most comprehensive assessments of Earth’s atmosphere by combining satellite and ground-based observations with advanced atmospheric modelling to monitor the composition of the atmosphere globally. The findings include data through the first eight months of 2026.
In North America, ozone levels remained relatively unchanged despite rigorous efforts to reduce pollution in recent decades. According to researchers, a combination of emissions from wildfires, long-term ozone effects and climate change impacts is likely delaying progress.
According to the American Lung Association, ozone exposure this year is higher than the past five years, with more than 4 in 10 people in the United States currently living in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution.
The report found that so far this year, Asia has faced the greatest impacts of ozone pollution, fueled by widespread anthropogenic emissions from industrialization, economic development, urban expansion and transport across the continent. Meanwhile, Oceania, which includes Australia and New Zealand, ranked as one of the cleanest regions on the planet, with 100% of the population experiencing ‘good’ and ‘fair’ levels of ozone, CAMS says.
The report also highlights the far-reaching effects of air pollution, showing how wildfire smoke, dust and other pollutants can travel thousands of miles, affecting air quality for people far from the original source.
Exposure to wildfire smoke continues to rise despite a decrease in global emissions from biomass burning in recent decades, according to researchers. This increase is primarily driven by a recent stretch of extreme wildfires that have burned near more populated areas.
Wildfires and other forms of biomass burning release numerous pollutants, including fine particulate matter and greenhouse gases. According to the WHO, 99% of the world’s population lives in areas where atmospheric pollution exceeds its air quality guidelines.
A detailed 3D rendering of planet Earth highlights the European continent and the North Atlantic Ocean. Image map textures source: www.solarsystemscope.com (Constantine Johnny/Getty Images)
The combination of widespread extreme heat and human-caused air pollution has exposed nearly 40% of the global population to dangerous levels of ground-level ozone so far this year, according to a new report by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).
The analysis shows that ozone pollution across much of the Northern Hemisphere ranks above the recommended level by the World Health Organization (WHO). Year to date, Asia is the continent most impacted by ozone pollution globally, followed by Europe and North America, according to the report.
The researchers said ground-level ozone, a pollutant that develops when specific pollutants react with sunlight and high temperatures, harms human health, ecosystems and crop yields.
“Ozone pollution is a stark reminder of how interconnected our atmosphere, climate, health, and livelihoods really are, with pollution and our changing climate impacting the chemistry of the air we breathe, determining the health of our ecosystems, and even governing our ability to grow food,” Laurence Rouil, director of CAMS, said in a statement.
The report, called Atmosphere Watch, is a new publication by CAMS. The organization provides one of the most comprehensive assessments of Earth’s atmosphere by combining satellite and ground-based observations with advanced atmospheric modelling to monitor the composition of the atmosphere globally. The findings include data through the first eight months of 2026.
In North America, ozone levels remained relatively unchanged despite rigorous efforts to reduce pollution in recent decades. According to researchers, a combination of emissions from wildfires, long-term ozone effects and climate change impacts is likely delaying progress.
According to the American Lung Association, ozone exposure this year is higher than the past five years, with more than 4 in 10 people in the United States currently living in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution.
The report found that so far this year, Asia has faced the greatest impacts of ozone pollution, fueled by widespread anthropogenic emissions from industrialization, economic development, urban expansion and transport across the continent. Meanwhile, Oceania, which includes Australia and New Zealand, ranked as one of the cleanest regions on the planet, with 100% of the population experiencing ‘good’ and ‘fair’ levels of ozone, CAMS says.
The report also highlights the far-reaching effects of air pollution, showing how wildfire smoke, dust and other pollutants can travel thousands of miles, affecting air quality for people far from the original source.
Exposure to wildfire smoke continues to rise despite a decrease in global emissions from biomass burning in recent decades, according to researchers. This increase is primarily driven by a recent stretch of extreme wildfires that have burned near more populated areas.
Wildfires and other forms of biomass burning release numerous pollutants, including fine particulate matter and greenhouse gases. According to the WHO, 99% of the world’s population lives in areas where atmospheric pollution exceeds its air quality guidelines.
The Transportation Security Administration says it’s taking away chairs at airport checkpoints nationwide and that TSA officers who check passengers’ IDs must stand, saying the move is designed to help officers remain alert.
“This welcome change reinforces both our security posture and our commitment to hospitality by having these officers on their feet and alert,” a TSA spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News. “All officers must meet fitness for duty requirements to be capable of performing their vital national security function while simultaneously creating a welcoming and professional environment for travelers.”
The union representing TSA workers is pushing back on the chair ban, saying they were not consulted before the decision was made and that “these chairs serve as basic ergonomic and safety support for officers that stand and walk on hard surfaces all day. TSA is treating this matter like it is a privilege it is not; it is basic safety and common decency for the workforce.”
The union has advised its local leaders to communicate with officers, as they “are moving aggressively to address this matter,” urging all members to also reach out to their congressional leaders to express their concern over the decision.
“This disregard for employee rights and safety is an example of a broad pattern of TSA’s true consideration of the employees who keep our nation safe,” the union said.
The Transportation Security Administration says it’s taking away chairs at airport checkpoints nationwide and that TSA officers who check passengers’ IDs must stand, saying the move is designed to help officers remain alert.
“This welcome change reinforces both our security posture and our commitment to hospitality by having these officers on their feet and alert,” a TSA spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News. “All officers must meet fitness for duty requirements to be capable of performing their vital national security function while simultaneously creating a welcoming and professional environment for travelers.”
The union representing TSA workers is pushing back on the chair ban, saying they were not consulted before the decision was made and that “these chairs serve as basic ergonomic and safety support for officers that stand and walk on hard surfaces all day. TSA is treating this matter like it is a privilege it is not; it is basic safety and common decency for the workforce.”
The union has advised its local leaders to communicate with officers, as they “are moving aggressively to address this matter,” urging all members to also reach out to their congressional leaders to express their concern over the decision.
“This disregard for employee rights and safety is an example of a broad pattern of TSA’s true consideration of the employees who keep our nation safe,” the union said.
NATO military aircraft were scrambled in both Poland and Romania overnight into Wednesday morning, as Russia launched its latest deadly drone and missile attack on Ukraine, which authorities said set multiple fires in Kyiv and left a dense fog hanging over the capital.
Ukraine’s air force said that Russia launched 188 drones — 86 of which were jet-powered — and an unspecified number of ballistic and cruise missiles into the country overnight. The air force said that five missiles and 155 drones were destroyed or neutralized, with impacts reported across 18 locations. Kyiv was the focus of the attack, the air force said.
At least three people were killed and six others injured by strikes in Kyiv, according to updates posted to Telegram by Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported that the strikes caused multiple fires in the capital, noting the “dense fog” hanging over the city on Wednesday morning.
“This is a consequence of previous shelling. The remnants of smoke and soot have risen to the upper layers of the atmosphere, and a high-pressure system is temporarily pressing them down to the ground,” the SES wrote in a post to Telegram.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post to Telegram that the overnight attacks were “intense” and focused on “the energy infrastructure of Kyiv and the surrounding region.”
Fourteen people were injured nationwide, Zelenskyy said, with attacks reported in the Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Rivne, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson and Cherkasy regions.
Zelenskyy thanked foreign partners who have recently committed new air defense support to Ukraine. “Every interceptor missile truly saves lives. And the closer we get to winter, the more of this protection we need. We must do everything to ensure that Russia’s strategy of ballistic and drone terror fails,” he wrote.
Beyond Ukraine’s western borders, the latest wave of Russian attacks prompted activity in Poland, Romania and Moldova.
In Moldova — which borders western Ukraine and is not a NATO member — the national police force said in a post to Facebook that a drone exploded and damaged a communications antenna in the Anenii Noi district in the center of the country. Police personnel were dispatched to the site to investigate the incident, police said.
Poland’s Armed Forces Operational Command said in a post to X on Wednesday morning that military aviation was active in response to Russian strikes in western Ukraine “using jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles.”
Romania’s Defense Ministry said in a post to X that its forces “detected an aerial target maneuvering east of Izmail, on Ukrainian territory, near the river border with Romania.”
Two Spanish F-18 jets were scrambled “to monitor the situation,” the ministry added. “No incursions into national airspace were detected,” it said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its latest attacks on Ukraine were aimed at targets including “a communications center in Kyiv, energy infrastructure facilities in the Kyiv region that support military production and infrastructure in the port of Izmail.”
The Defense Ministry in Moscow said its forces also shot down at least 384 Ukrainian drones overnight.
NATO military aircraft were scrambled in both Poland and Romania overnight into Wednesday morning, as Russia launched its latest deadly drone and missile attack on Ukraine, which authorities said set multiple fires in Kyiv and left a dense fog hanging over the capital.
Ukraine’s air force said that Russia launched 188 drones — 86 of which were jet-powered — and an unspecified number of ballistic and cruise missiles into the country overnight. The air force said that five missiles and 155 drones were destroyed or neutralized, with impacts reported across 18 locations. Kyiv was the focus of the attack, the air force said.
At least three people were killed and six others injured by strikes in Kyiv, according to updates posted to Telegram by Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported that the strikes caused multiple fires in the capital, noting the “dense fog” hanging over the city on Wednesday morning.
“This is a consequence of previous shelling. The remnants of smoke and soot have risen to the upper layers of the atmosphere, and a high-pressure system is temporarily pressing them down to the ground,” the SES wrote in a post to Telegram.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post to Telegram that the overnight attacks were “intense” and focused on “the energy infrastructure of Kyiv and the surrounding region.”
Fourteen people were injured nationwide, Zelenskyy said, with attacks reported in the Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Rivne, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson and Cherkasy regions.
Zelenskyy thanked foreign partners who have recently committed new air defense support to Ukraine. “Every interceptor missile truly saves lives. And the closer we get to winter, the more of this protection we need. We must do everything to ensure that Russia’s strategy of ballistic and drone terror fails,” he wrote.
Beyond Ukraine’s western borders, the latest wave of Russian attacks prompted activity in Poland, Romania and Moldova.
In Moldova — which borders western Ukraine and is not a NATO member — the national police force said in a post to Facebook that a drone exploded and damaged a communications antenna in the Anenii Noi district in the center of the country. Police personnel were dispatched to the site to investigate the incident, police said.
Poland’s Armed Forces Operational Command said in a post to X on Wednesday morning that military aviation was active in response to Russian strikes in western Ukraine “using jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles.”
Romania’s Defense Ministry said in a post to X that its forces “detected an aerial target maneuvering east of Izmail, on Ukrainian territory, near the river border with Romania.”
Two Spanish F-18 jets were scrambled “to monitor the situation,” the ministry added. “No incursions into national airspace were detected,” it said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its latest attacks on Ukraine were aimed at targets including “a communications center in Kyiv, energy infrastructure facilities in the Kyiv region that support military production and infrastructure in the port of Izmail.”
The Defense Ministry in Moscow said its forces also shot down at least 384 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Caleb Flynn listens to closing arguments inside the Miami County Court of Common Pleas, Sept. 29, 2026, in Troy, Ohio. (Pool via ABC News)
(NEW YORK) — A verdict has been reached in the murder trial of an Ohio man accused of fatally shooting his wife, who had called 911 to report that an intruder broke into their home and killed the mother of two.
Caleb Flynn, 40, who once appeared as a contestant on “American Idol” in 2013, was charged with aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of his wife, 37-year-old Ashley Flynn. He has pleaded not guilty.
The jury deliberated for nearly 2 1/2 hours before reaching a verdict Tuesday afternoon. The verdict has not yet been announced.
The former pastor called 911 early on Feb. 16 to report that his wife had been shot by an intruder at their home in Tipp City, north of Dayton. He was arrested three days later.
Prosecutors alleged that Caleb Flynn “executed” his wife by shooting her twice in the back of the head in bed so that he could be with his mistress and manipulated the crime scene to make it seem as if an intruder had broken in through the garage.
Miami County Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Joseph pointed to evidence including the physical scene, 911 call, text messages between Caleb Flynn and his mistress discussing the end of his marriage and digital records from the night of the shooting, which he argued “leads straight to the defendant.”
“The evidence showed that being the victim would allow the defendant to keep his lucrative job working for Ashley’s family business, he would benefit from Ashley’s life insurance, and he could keep his position as a working worship leader with zero impact to his reputation within the church,” Joseph said during closing arguments Tuesday in the Miami County courtroom. “The evidence does not tell the story of an intruder.”
Joseph argued that key details in Caleb Flynn’s recounting of what happened that night changed, and at the time when he told investigators he was sleeping before being woken up by gunshots, “his devices say he was awake and moving.”
No gun has been found in the shooting, though Joseph told jurors that the recovery of the gun is not an element the state has to prove.
“But you heard the defendant kept a 9mm handgun in his truck console. His truck was parked in the garage. That console was up before law enforcement arrived and the gun was missing,” Joseph said. “You heard that Ashley was shot twice in her head with 9mm bullets.”
Defense attorney Patrick Mulligan argued during his closing that the state’s evidence is circumstantial, and that the only thing prosecutors proved was that Caleb Flynn was having an affair.
“Connecting a couple of meaningless dots doesn’t solve the case,” Mulligan told jurors.
Mulligan said Caleb Flynn voluntarily spoke with detectives three times when he “didn’t have to,” consented to a search of his home and phone and voluntarily gave his fingerprints.
“He wanted to figure out who shot Ashley,” Mulligan said.
On rebuttal, Miami County prosecuting attorney Paul Watkins urged jurors to use “common sense” and argued that the “evidence is clear” that Caleb Flynn is guilty.
The evidence in the case did not begin with the two gunshots, but months earlier, he argued, citing text messages between the defendant and his mistress, Alleigha Botner.
“The defendant, he had Alleigha, and he wanted out of his marriage,” Watkins said. “The evidence shows that his feelings toward Ashley went far beyond simply wanting a divorce. He hated her.”
Watkins said the language in the more than 100,000 messages Caleb Flynn and his mistress had sent each other “escalated” in months before the shooting while recounting some of the texts, including one from the defendant that said, “I want my girls full time in a life with you, but I can’t have both. So I weigh the options, and I choose you.”
“Not just hours before Ashley’s execution, the defendant wrote this: ‘Actions will come tomorrow. I’ll never not be scared to do this, as I never want to hurt my daughters. That will always be there. But this month away from you has terrified me beyond belief,'” Watkins said, continuing to read the message. “‘I know I can’t live without you, and so again, if this gives me a 1% chance to spend my life with you, it’s the 100% right decision. I choose you. I’m free.'”
“We are not here only because of someone’s words,” Watkins told jurors. “We are here because the defendant put actions to those words. The defendant made decisions.”
Twenty days before Ashley Flynn was killed, Watkins said Caleb Flynn removed security cameras that had been in his home for years, including one that would have captured an intruder coming in from the garage. The day of the shooting, Watkins said the evidence shows that the defendant was also deleting apps off his phone and trying to delete his messages.
“In the hours after Ashley was murdered, the defendant was not mourning the death of his wife. He was whispering to his mistress, ‘It didn’t happen the way we thought it would,'” Watkins said. “I am confident after you deliberate, your verdict will tell the world this case did not end the way the defendant thought it would. The defendant wanted a new life. He wanted Ashley out of their life, and he didn’t want to face the consequences of making the choice to pursue divorce.”
Caleb Flynn could be seen crying throughout the closing arguments. He did not testify during the trial and the defense called no witnesses.
He denied killing his spouse in an interview with police days after the deadly shooting, according to video shown during the trial.
His former mistress testified for the state during the trial, reading from some of the more than 100,000 messages they exchanged over her two days of testimony.
“If I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat,” Caleb Flynn said in one message from May 2025, Botner testified.
Caleb Flynn listens to closing arguments inside the Miami County Court of Common Pleas, Sept. 29, 2026, in Troy, Ohio. (Pool via ABC News)
(NEW YORK) — A verdict has been reached in the murder trial of an Ohio man accused of fatally shooting his wife, who had called 911 to report that an intruder broke into their home and killed the mother of two.
Caleb Flynn, 40, who once appeared as a contestant on “American Idol” in 2013, was charged with aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of his wife, 37-year-old Ashley Flynn. He has pleaded not guilty.
The jury deliberated for nearly 2 1/2 hours before reaching a verdict Tuesday afternoon. The verdict has not yet been announced.
The former pastor called 911 early on Feb. 16 to report that his wife had been shot by an intruder at their home in Tipp City, north of Dayton. He was arrested three days later.
Prosecutors alleged that Caleb Flynn “executed” his wife by shooting her twice in the back of the head in bed so that he could be with his mistress and manipulated the crime scene to make it seem as if an intruder had broken in through the garage.
Miami County Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Joseph pointed to evidence including the physical scene, 911 call, text messages between Caleb Flynn and his mistress discussing the end of his marriage and digital records from the night of the shooting, which he argued “leads straight to the defendant.”
“The evidence showed that being the victim would allow the defendant to keep his lucrative job working for Ashley’s family business, he would benefit from Ashley’s life insurance, and he could keep his position as a working worship leader with zero impact to his reputation within the church,” Joseph said during closing arguments Tuesday in the Miami County courtroom. “The evidence does not tell the story of an intruder.”
Joseph argued that key details in Caleb Flynn’s recounting of what happened that night changed, and at the time when he told investigators he was sleeping before being woken up by gunshots, “his devices say he was awake and moving.”
No gun has been found in the shooting, though Joseph told jurors that the recovery of the gun is not an element the state has to prove.
“But you heard the defendant kept a 9mm handgun in his truck console. His truck was parked in the garage. That console was up before law enforcement arrived and the gun was missing,” Joseph said. “You heard that Ashley was shot twice in her head with 9mm bullets.”
Defense attorney Patrick Mulligan argued during his closing that the state’s evidence is circumstantial, and that the only thing prosecutors proved was that Caleb Flynn was having an affair.
“Connecting a couple of meaningless dots doesn’t solve the case,” Mulligan told jurors.
Mulligan said Caleb Flynn voluntarily spoke with detectives three times when he “didn’t have to,” consented to a search of his home and phone and voluntarily gave his fingerprints.
“He wanted to figure out who shot Ashley,” Mulligan said.
On rebuttal, Miami County prosecuting attorney Paul Watkins urged jurors to use “common sense” and argued that the “evidence is clear” that Caleb Flynn is guilty.
The evidence in the case did not begin with the two gunshots, but months earlier, he argued, citing text messages between the defendant and his mistress, Alleigha Botner.
“The defendant, he had Alleigha, and he wanted out of his marriage,” Watkins said. “The evidence shows that his feelings toward Ashley went far beyond simply wanting a divorce. He hated her.”
Watkins said the language in the more than 100,000 messages Caleb Flynn and his mistress had sent each other “escalated” in months before the shooting while recounting some of the texts, including one from the defendant that said, “I want my girls full time in a life with you, but I can’t have both. So I weigh the options, and I choose you.”
“Not just hours before Ashley’s execution, the defendant wrote this: ‘Actions will come tomorrow. I’ll never not be scared to do this, as I never want to hurt my daughters. That will always be there. But this month away from you has terrified me beyond belief,'” Watkins said, continuing to read the message. “‘I know I can’t live without you, and so again, if this gives me a 1% chance to spend my life with you, it’s the 100% right decision. I choose you. I’m free.'”
“We are not here only because of someone’s words,” Watkins told jurors. “We are here because the defendant put actions to those words. The defendant made decisions.”
Twenty days before Ashley Flynn was killed, Watkins said Caleb Flynn removed security cameras that had been in his home for years, including one that would have captured an intruder coming in from the garage. The day of the shooting, Watkins said the evidence shows that the defendant was also deleting apps off his phone and trying to delete his messages.
“In the hours after Ashley was murdered, the defendant was not mourning the death of his wife. He was whispering to his mistress, ‘It didn’t happen the way we thought it would,'” Watkins said. “I am confident after you deliberate, your verdict will tell the world this case did not end the way the defendant thought it would. The defendant wanted a new life. He wanted Ashley out of their life, and he didn’t want to face the consequences of making the choice to pursue divorce.”
Caleb Flynn could be seen crying throughout the closing arguments. He did not testify during the trial and the defense called no witnesses.
He denied killing his spouse in an interview with police days after the deadly shooting, according to video shown during the trial.
His former mistress testified for the state during the trial, reading from some of the more than 100,000 messages they exchanged over her two days of testimony.
“If I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat,” Caleb Flynn said in one message from May 2025, Botner testified.
In this Jan. 9, 2026, file photo, a detainee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) boards a Global X aircraft at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport in Minnesota. Global X is the operating name of Global Crossing Airlines, which has a contract with the Trump Administration to operate deportation flights. (Annalise Kaylor/NurPhoto via Getty Images, FILE)
(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration can continue deporting migrants to third countries without prior notice after the Supreme Court on Tuesday paused a lower court order blocking the controversial policy.
In granting the government’s request for a stay, the high court on Tuesday cleared federal officials to enforce rapid third-country removals for now while also agreeing to take up the case for oral argument in December.
Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented.
Earlier this month, a three-judge panel for the First Circuit ruled that immigrants were not receiving adequate notice before being deported to nations where they have no ties or connections.
“An individual’s right to contest removal to a country based on a fear of persecution in that country means little if one does not receive prior notice of the intended removal destination and a meaningful opportunity to contest that destination,” wrote Circuit Judge Seth Aframe.
About 25,000 people have been deported to so-called third countries during the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown, according to the immigrant rights organizations Human Rights First and Refugees International.
According to immigration lawyers and advocates, third-country removals are not new, but they are rare. In recent months, the Trump administration has ramped up third-country deportations after creating a web of formal deals with nearly three dozen countries to deport asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants with criminal records with little to no warning.
ABC News previously interviewed a group of Latin American men who were deported to the Central African Republic and were not informed of their destination until several hours into the flight.
“I feel kidnapped,” one of the men, Aristides Fernandez Garcia, said. “They have violated all the rights that exist in life, because we are human beings.”
