US Appeals Court Allows Trump Administration to Resume Nationwide Fast-Track Deportations

A three‑judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned a lower‑court injunction, allowing the Trump administration to resume its expedited‑removal program across the United States, not just at the border. The majority opinion, written by judges Justin R. Walker and Neomi Rao—both appointed by Trump—with a third judge appointed by former President Barack Obama, held that the plaintiffs had not shown the expanded use of expedited removal violated due‑process rights. The policy, broadened in January, lets immigration agents quickly deport undocumented migrants without a hearing before a judge, even after they have lived in the country for more than two years. ACLU attorney Anand Balakrishnan said, “The Trump administration’s push for fast‑track deportations will subject people to an unfair and error‑prone system.”

The decision reverses a stay issued by District Judge Jia Cobb, who had halted the expansion, citing the administration’s failure to develop procedures to prevent wrongful removals. Republicans praised the ruling as a tool to combat illegal immigration, while civil‑rights groups warned it undermines fundamental due‑process protections.