DHS lawyer defends third-country migrant removals as vital public safety tool

Removing migrants who are in the United States illegally to third countries — nations other than their country of origin — is an essential public safety tool, the Department of Homeland Security's general counsel has said.

The remarks represent a formal legal defence of a practice that has drawn significant attention as the administration seeks broader authority to deport individuals to countries with which they may have no prior connection.

The policy gives authorities greater flexibility in cases where removal to a migrant's home country may not be immediately possible, officials argue, framing it as a necessary instrument for maintaining public order.