International

U.S. Supreme Court allows Trump administration to resume deportations to third countries

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s administration to resume deportations of immigrants to third countries such as South Sudan and El Salvador—marking a key victory for the White House and its mass deportation campaign.

The high court’s decision suspends a federal judge’s order that had blocked the deportation of eight immigrants to South Sudan, including two Cubans and one Mexican.

Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin celebrated the ruling, stating that the Trump administration can now “exercise its legal authority” to remove undocumented immigrants to any country willing to accept them.

“Let the deportation planes fly!” she declared, following the 6-3 ruling, in which only the three liberal justices dissented.

In a brief unsigned order, the Supreme Court lifted the injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy of Massachusetts, who last month ruled that the Trump administration had violated a court order by attempting to deport the individuals without giving them adequate legal recourse and despite the risk of torture in the destination countries.

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As a result of Judge Murphy’s decision, the eight immigrants and eleven immigration agents had been stranded at a U.S. airbase in Djibouti, where, according to government attorneys, they faced potential threats from neighboring Yemen as well as “deplorable” health conditions.

In its argument before the Supreme Court, the Trump administration claimed that the immigrants in question had committed “heinous crimes” and that their home countries had refused to accept them.

Of the eight individuals being deported, only one is from South Sudan. The others are originally from Cuba, Mexico, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

U.S. law prohibits the government from deporting individuals to countries where they may face torture or serious harm.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”