Key facts
- A federal appeals court has allowed the Trump administration to expand its fast-track deportation process.
- The ruling overturns a lower court's decision that had blocked the expansion.
- The expanded process permits the expedited removal of migrants who are not near the U.S. border.
- The policy was challenged by immigrant rights organizations citing due process violations.
A federal appeals court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to expand its fast-track deportation process, allowing for the expedited removal of migrants who are living far from the U.S. border. The ruling on Tuesday by a 2-1 panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned a lower court's decision from August 2025 that had blocked the administration's move.
Previously, expedited removal was largely limited to individuals apprehended within 100 miles of the border and who had been in the U.S. for 14 days or fewer. The Trump administration sought to apply this process nationwide, targeting immigrants who could not prove continuous residency for two years or more. This expansion was challenged by immigrant rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Immigration Council, who argued it violated due process and would lead to wrongful deportations, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of long-term U.S. residents.
U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson had initially granted a preliminary injunction against the policy, stating it was an illegal attempt to remove people without legal recourse. The Trump administration justified the expansion as a necessary measure to address what it termed a migrant "invasion." The Migration Policy Institute estimates that up to 2.5 million noncitizens could be subject to this expanded expedited removal process.
The appeals court's decision means the government's appeal of the district court's order will continue, but the immediate block on the nationwide expansion has been lifted.