A three-judge panel of the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals issued a clarification this week following an attempt by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport a Peruvian national to the Central African Republic. The incident occurred shortly after the court had issued a ruling intended to block the administration’s policy of deporting migrants to third countries—nations other than their country of origin.

According to court documents, ICE officials were prepared to carry out the deportation despite the recent judicial order. The appeals court had to intervene directly to remind the agency that the ruling prohibited such actions. The case highlights a significant friction point between the executive branch’s immigration enforcement efforts and the judiciary’s oversight of those policies. While the administration has sought to utilize third-country removals as a mechanism for managing migration flows, the 1st Circuit panel has signaled that these removals violate the current legal framework governing deportation procedures. The man, a citizen of Peru, was ultimately not sent to the Central African Republic, though the incident underscores the ongoing confusion and legal challenges surrounding the implementation of the administration's border and removal policies.