Shadow Docket Time

SCOTUS is busy doing many things. 

But this is worthy of a stand-alone entry. Chris Geidner has the details. He also summarizes:

SCOTUS allows the Trump admin to restart third-country removals under a policy found by lower courts to violate federal law. The Democratic appointees dissent.

The deportations will be OK'ed at least through the next several months, with SCOTUS agreeing to hear the case in December.

Over the course of the second Trump administration, one study estimates that more than 25,000 people have been deported since 2025 using this process.

The liberals dissented from the granting of the stay. Without comment. The oral argument will be in December. The final opinion will be later. Why not continue the stay until then? 

The Supreme Court provides some questions for briefing, including a catch-all regarding any question the government deems appropriate. Steve Vladeck notes that he never saw that before. 

The removals include sending people to countries for which they have no previous connection. Someone from Latin America, for instance, can be sent to East Africa. The whole thing is simply horrible. 

They might want to call this an "emergency docket" case, but the order has no explanation. It merely provides instructions. It is a shadow docket decision.