A federal judge on Friday blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to dramatically expand the use of “expedited removal,” a process that allows immigration authorities to deport migrants without a court hearing. The ruling delivers a significant setback to Trump’s broader plan to enforce mass deportations across the United States.
The expedited removal policy has historically been limited to migrants apprehended near the U.S.-Mexico border who had entered the country within the prior two weeks. But since January, Trump’s administration broadened the policy to apply nationwide, targeting migrants who had been living in the U.S. for up to two years.
U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled that such an expansion could lead to wrongful deportations, particularly of individuals who might legally establish that they had lived in the U.S. beyond the two-year threshold. In her 48-page opinion, Cobb warned that the government’s stance risked stripping migrants of constitutional protections.
“Unlike the group of people who have traditionally been subject to expedited removal — those detained at or near the border shortly after crossing — the group of people the Government is now subjecting to expedited removal have long since entered our country,” Cobb wrote. She criticized the administration’s argument that undocumented migrants are entitled to no constitutional due process, calling the claim “truly startling.”
“Were that right,” she added, “not only noncitizens, but everyone would be at risk.”
The case was brought by Make The Road New York, a prominent immigrant rights organization. Cobb, an appointee of President Joe Biden, clarified that her ruling does not invalidate the expedited removal statute itself or its traditional use at the border. Instead, the decision blocks Trump’s nationwide expansion, which immigrant advocates say could have led to widespread abuse and erroneous deportations.
The Constitution, Cobb reminded, guarantees that “no person shall be removed from the United States without opportunity, at some time, to be heard.”
Trump, who is campaigning for a return to the White House, has vowed to deport millions of undocumented migrants. However, his sweeping immigration agenda has faced repeated legal challenges. Courts have frequently cited due process concerns in limiting his administration’s enforcement strategies.
Friday’s ruling is the latest example of how judicial oversight has slowed Trump’s efforts to accelerate deportations, underscoring the legal hurdles that continue to shape America’s contentious immigration policies.
