Judge Blocks Trump’s Expansion of Fast-Track Deportations, Citing Due Process

A federal judge has halted the Trump administration’s nationwide expansion of “expedited removal,” ruling that the policy likely tramples migrants’ due-process rights when applied deep inside the United States. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb paused a January directive that extended fast-track deportations to people anywhere in the country who arrived within the past two years, according to the court’s order filed Friday.

Expedited removal allows immigration officers to quickly deport certain noncitizens unless they claim asylum and pass an initial screening. Before the recent expansion, it was generally limited to arrests near the border and within 14 days of entry. In her opinion, Judge Cobb wrote that applying the process to “a huge group of people living in the interior” requires safeguards that “the procedures currently in place” do not provide.

The Department of Homeland Security said the ruling “ignores the President’s clear authorities” and signaled the decision will be appealed, as reported by CBS News.

What’s next: An appeal is expected; the judge’s order remains in effect while litigation continues.