WASHINGTON – A US judge has blocked Donald Trump administration from imposing nationwide expansion of “expedited removal,” a fast-track deportation process that allows migrants to be deported without a court hearing.
Originally limited to migrants caught near US-Mexico border within two weeks of entry, the administration extended the policy to include individuals who have been in the U.S. for up to two years.
US District Judge Jia Cobb ruled that this broader application could lead to wrongful deportations without due process, stressing the constitutional rights of all individuals, including the chance to prove longer residency.
The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by Make the Road New York, a migrant rights group. While Cobb upheld expedited removal at the border, she underscored that due process protections must apply to everyone in the country.
Former President Trump, who pledged to deport millions of undocumented migrants if re-elected, faced repeated legal challenges over his mass deportation policies.
Judge Cobb cited the Constitution, noting that “no person shall be removed from the United States without opportunity, at some time, to be heard.”
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