Supreme Court rules Trump administration can continue rapidly deporting migrants to 3rd countries
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.”
Terrion Arnold is seen in a booking photo released by the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office on June 24, 2026. (Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office)
(TAMPA, Fla.) — A judge in Florida set Detroit Lions NFL cornerback Terrion Arnold’s bond at $1 million on Monday, denying the prosecutors’ request that he remain held without bond on charges alleging he orchestrated a kidnapping in which three men were robbed and beaten at gunpoint.
The 23-year-old NFL player is one of seven people arrested in connection with the “targeted armed robbery” last February in Tampa, police said.
Arnold is accused of “coordinating and directing” the codefendants in an alleged conspiracy to “lure” the three men to an apartment, where prosecutors say they were beaten in retaliation for the alleged theft of more than $200,000 worth of Arnold’s personal property from an Airbnb in which he had stayed with friends days earlier in Largo, Florida, according to the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office.
Arnold surrendered to authorities on Wednesday and was initially denied bond following his arrest on multiple armed robbery and kidnapping charges. He faces a potential sentence of up to life in prison if convicted on the charges, prosecutors said.
A county prosecutor alleged during a detention hearing in Tampa on Monday that Arnold was “the reason why this gets set in motion.”
“There’s three individuals that had guns pointed in their faces because of this defendant,” Kevin Riley, an attorney with the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office, said.
Defense attorney Harvey Steinberg asked the judge not to find probable cause. He argued that the evidence presented so far only shows that Arnold was “suspicious” that his phone was taken and wanted to confront someone, but that there is “zero evidence” that he was aware that there was going to be a beating or guns involved.
“Did my client direct them? Nope,” Steinberg said.
Judge Christopher Sabella found there was probable cause, calling the case “serious,” but denied the state’s motion to detain Arnold ahead of trial. He set bond at $1 million, saying the amount was “consistent with the serious nature of the charges.”
Among the bond conditions, Arnold must surrender his passport and is only allowed to leave his residence for work or legal purposes.
The state had asked that Arnold be required to wear an ankle monitor, which the judge denied after Arnold’s defense argued that the monitor would make him unable to work due to strict NFL requirements regarding attire.
“I don’t want to interfere with his ability to make a living,” Sabella said, adding that he suspects Arnold will have a “paparazzi monitor” that will make his whereabouts known.
“If he shows up on a beach in Tahiti, he’ll be on social media,” Sabella said. “If he violates the conditions of his bond, he will be found.”
Arnold, who was in handcuffs during the court appearance, could be seen smiling with his attorneys following the hearing.
The incident occurred on Feb. 4, three days after multiple items belonging to Arnold and others were stolen from an Airbnb he had rented, according to police. On Feb. 3, Arnold and others reported a loss totaling more than $250,000 to the Largo Police Department, police said.
The men, all in their late teens, were allegedly beaten and pistol-whipped by two of the co-defendants, while a third streamed the assault to Arnold and other suspects who were traveling to the apartment, police said. Investigators uncovered a group chat in which Arnold and another suspect allegedly gave directions during the assault, police said.
After arriving at the apartment, Arnold allegedly directed the other suspects to go inside, at which point the victims were robbed during the ongoing assault, police said. Their wallets, phones, jackets, cash and jewelry totaling more than $6,200 were stolen, according to the criminal report.
Nearly two hours after arriving at the apartment, the victims were escorted out by armed suspects and left in their vehicle, police said. Arnold never entered the apartment or interacted with the victims, based on the police statement.
The victims reported the incident to Tampa police and “positively identified the suspects,” police said. The three victims had “visible injuries from being battered,” police said.
Arnold allegedly suspected that two of the three victims were responsible for the theft, though investigators ultimately determined that none of them were involved, Tampa police said.
Cell phone evidence and “corroborating testimony” from the co-defendants also “helped establish Arnold’s role in planning and directing the crimes,” the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office said.
Among the six codefendants arrested in connection with the case, four men are being held without bond, while two women pleaded guilty on Wednesday to robbery and kidnapping charges, according to the state attorney’s office. As part of their plea agreements, they are required to testify truthfully in proceedings related to the case, the office said.
Arnold’s sports management team said he “categorically denies any involvement in the matters underlying the allegations made against him and maintains his innocence.”
“There is no credible evidence linking Mr. Arnold to these allegations,” Denise White, CEO of EAG Sports and Entertainment Agency, said in a statement to ABC News. “Instead, the government appears to be relying on testimony from multiple convicted felons who have admitted their own involvement and may have substantial incentives to shift blame in an effort to lessen their sentences.”
Following Monday’s hearing, White said the the judge’s ruling “confirms that there is very little evidence to even suggest any criminal involvement by Mr. Arnold.”
The Lions said in a statement to ABC Detroit affiliate WXYZ that they are “aware of the legal situation” involving Arnold and “will not comment at this time out of respect for the ongoing legal process.”
Arnold, a native of Tallahassee, Florida, played at the University of Alabama and was a first-round pick in the 2024 draft.
Portia Duncan becomes emotional as she speaks about her late daughter, 7-year-old Jor’Dynn Duncan, during a news conference on July 7, 2026, in Melville, New York. (Alejandra Villa Loarca/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The birth mother of a 7-year-old girl from Long Island, New York, is planning to sue the county and school district following the death of her daughter in December 2025.
Portia Duncan filed a notice of claim against Suffolk County for allegedly neglecting her daughter, Jor’Dynn Duncan, by placing her in the care of her legal guardian, Emily Kelly, who Portia Duncan alleges physically abused, neglected and tortured Jor’Dynn.
Kelly was charged with second-degree murder and pleaded not guilty in court on June 23.
In addition to Kelly, her mother, Barbara Renner, and her daughter, Elyssa Seymore, were also arrested on charges regarding their alleged involvement in Jor’Dynn’s death. Renner was charged with second-degree manslaughter and Seymore with unlawful imprisonment, among other charges. They both pleaded not guilty.
Portia Duncan also filed a notice of claim against Bayport-Blue Point School District for allegedly failing to act on indicators of abuse she said Jor’Dynn presented.
“I miss her dearly, dearly,” Portia Duncan said amid tears in a press conference on Tuesday. “She was such a sweet, beautiful, smart, fun, girly girl. If I could turn back the time, I would’ve done things so much different.”
An autopsy determined that Jor’Dynn’s death on Dec. 29, 2025, was due to a massive untreated infection from more than 90 injuries that were found on her body at the time of her death, according to a Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office press release.
“These claims arise from the placement of seven-year-old Jor’Dynn Duncan, while she was in the custody of the County of Suffolk, into a home in which she was subjected to a prolonged, systematic, and ultimately fatal course of physical abuse, torture, and neglect; from the failure of the County of Suffolk, the Suffolk County Department of Social Services and Suffolk County Child Protective Services to adequately investigate and vet the caregiver with whom they placed her, to monitor her health, safety and general well-being during the approximately one year she remained in that place, and to act upon the indicators of abuse she and other presented; and from the failure of the Bayport-Blue Point School District and its personnel, in their capacity as mandated reporters, to report the outwardly observable indicia of abuse and Jor’Dynn’s chronic school absenteeism,” the notice said.
Jor’Dynn allegedly missed 40 days of school between January and June 2025, according to the notice of claim. The child allegedly wore makeup to conceal injuries she incurred from the abuse on the days she did attend school, the notice said.
Kelly allegedly called the school with several excuses for Jor’Dynn’s absences to cover up the alleged abuse, including fake illnesses, deaths in the family and trips to Disney World, the District Attorney’s press release said.
Kelly gained full custody of Jor’Dynn in April 2025 upon her request, an investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department found. Kelly is the fiancée of Jor’Dynn’s father, who was in prison, according to the notice of claim.
Jor’Dynn was removed from Portia Duncan’s custody on account of a failed drug test, her attorney said.
The police investigation allegedly found extensive photo and video evidence of abuse captured on Kelly’s cell phone and other cloud-based accounts, the press release stated.
“The placement of Jor’Dynn Duncan with Emily Kelly was what led to her death,” Derek Sells, an attorney representing Portia Duncan, said in a press conference. “The failure to properly screen that placement, the failure to properly supervise that placement, and the failure to report clear abuse in the form of neglect, not going to school, all led to this death. And we’re gonna hold those people accountable.”
Sells said the filing of claims is the “first step” in the process of holding parties accountable for Jor’Dynn’s death. Filing a Notice of Claim typically comes before filing a lawsuit against the state, local government or a government agency in New York.
Both the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Bayport-Blue Point School District declined to comment on the claims.
Attempts to reach Suffolk County for a comment were unsuccessful.
The three women are set to return to court at the beginning of August, ABC News New York affiliate WABC reported.
“She pled not guilty at the arraignment, my client asserts her innocence, and we are vigorously going to defend her throughout these proceedings,” said John LoTurco, Kelly’s defense attorney, according to WABC.
“I’m so thankful to the Lord for giving me the chance to be in my daughter’s life the way that I was,” Portia Duncan said. “I’m very upset that she’s been taken from me.”
Jes Staley, former chief executive officer of Barclays Plc, leaves for lunch as he attends closing submissions at the High Court Rolls Building on April 2, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The House Oversight Committee is set on Thursday to interview Jeffrey Epstein’s former private JPMorgan Chase investment banker, Jes Staley, whose career as a finance executive came crashing down after the convicted sex offender’s death in 2019.
Staley, 69, spent more than thirty years at JPMorgan Chase, including in senior roles in the private banking and investment divisions, where he managed relationships with ultra-wealthy clients, including Epstein.
After Staley left JPMorgan Chase, he became the CEO of the British multinational bank Barclays in 2015.
Staley agreed to a voluntary transcribed interview with the committee after its chairman, Kentucky Republican James Comer, requested his appearance as part of the panel’s wide-ranging inquiry into the federal government’s handling of the criminal investigations of Epstein.
Staley’s interview, like others that have occurred in recent months, will not be recorded.
Following Epstein’s arrest and death in 2019, Staley came under scrutiny in a lawsuit brought by Epstein’s victims, who contended in court filings that JPMorgan Chase and Staley had allegedly ignored red flags that helped enable Epstein to traffic women and girls. JPMorgan Chase settled the case in 2023 for $290 million, without any admission of wrongdoing.
Barclay executives told U.K. financial regulators after Epstein’s death that Staley and Epstein did not have a close relationship and that Staley had cut off contact long before he joined the bank as its CEO. But the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) subsequently determined — based partly on hundreds of emails and records that emerged from the victims’ lawsuit — that Staley had provided misleading information about the extent of the relationship and its timing.
Staley stepped down from Barclays in 2021 and was subsequently banned by the FCA from working in Britain’s financial sector.
Staley lost his appeal of the regulatory body’s findings. During the appeal proceedings last year, Staley acknowledged that he had what he described as a consensual sexual encounter with one of Epstein’s adult assistants at an apartment building in New York City, owned by Epstein’s brother, where Epstein housed some of his employees.
“We had one encounter,” Staley testified, according to an account in The Guardian. “Much to my embarrassment today.”
Staley has also acknowledged visiting Epstein’s private estate in the U.S. Virgin Islands, though not while Epstein was there. He also claimed to have no specific recollection of a series of emails in which Staley and Epstein refer to women using names of Disney characters.
“That was fun. Say hi to Snow White,” Staley emailed to Epstein in 2010, according to documents made public in the victims’ litigation.
“Which character would you like next,” Epstein asked.
“Beauty and the Beast,” Staley answered.
“Well, one side is available,” Epstein responded, according to the documents.
A lawyer believed to be representing Staley for his interview on Capitol Hill did not respond to a request for comment in advance of Staley’s appearance.
Staley, who has not been charged, has denied all wrongdoing and has said he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
An attorney representing Staley in the victims’ civil lawsuit said claims that Staley aided and abetted Epstein were “baseless.”
“The allegations against him are slanderous, and the potential damages are astronomical,” attorney Brendan Sullivan wrote in a 2023 court filing.
Records released by the Justice Department earlier this year in response to the Epstein Files Transparency Act include unproven allegations of wrongdoing by Staley. The allegations, raised by an alleged Epstein victim, were detailed in an 86-page internal prosecution memo from December 2019.
It’s unclear if federal prosecutors pursued those allegations. The Department of Justice has said repeatedly since the disclosure of the Epstein files that there are no credible allegations or evidence that would lead to new federal criminal investigations.
