On March 25, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in favor of the Trump administration, permitting it to proceed with its program of expedited removal of immigrants. The divided three-judge panel reversed a lower court ruling that had blocked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from broadening the criteria for applying the fast-track deportation procedure.
Previously, expedited removal was limited to immigrants apprehended at the U.S. border. The Trump administration sought to extend the process to all foreign nationals detained anywhere in the United States who could not prove they had been in the country for more than two years.
Judge Justin Walker, a Trump appointee, wrote that the administration is entitled to “expedite removals to the maximum extent Congress allowed.” The decision marks a win for the administration's effort to tighten procedural rights under its mass deportation policy.
Immigrant advocacy groups, including Make the Road New York, criticized the policy. They argue that expedited removal violates due process rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution to all individuals on U.S. soil, regardless of immigration status, because it does not allow for appeals.
In August 2025, District Judge Jia Cobb had blocked the policy, stressing that “by prioritizing speed above all else, the government will inevitably deport individuals who are not subject to removal.” The appeals court ruling overturned that decision, clearing the way for the administration to expand the fast-track procedure.
