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US judge blocks Trump’s fast-track deportation policy
A federal judge in Washington has blocked the Trump administration’s nationwide expansion of a fast-track deportation process, dealing a blow to the president’s pledge of mass expulsions of undocumented migrants.
The “expedited removal” procedure was initially applied only to migrants apprehended near the southern border within two weeks of entering the country. However, since January, the Trump administration extended its use across the United States, targeting individuals who had been living in the country for up to two years without documentation.
In a ruling published late Friday, Judge Jia Cobb halted this broader application, warning it could result in people being deported “erroneously,” without the chance to prove they had long-standing ties to the country. “Unlike those detained shortly after crossing the border, many of these individuals have lived in the United States for a significant amount of time,” she explained.
Cobb criticized the government’s argument that undocumented migrants had no constitutional rights under the Fifth Amendment, which safeguards individuals from government abuses during legal proceedings. She stressed that such reasoning could put “not only foreigners, but everyone at risk.”
The case was brought by Make The Road New York, an immigrant rights advocacy group. While the judge did not challenge the legality of expedited removal at the border, she emphasized that due process must be upheld for those already living inside the country.
Mass deportations have been a cornerstone of Donald Trump’s political agenda. Yet, his efforts have repeatedly been slowed by judicial decisions defending migrants’ rights to fair legal procedures.