US Judge Halts Trump’s Expansion Of Deportation Process
A United States judge has stopped President Donald Trump’s administration from expanding a fast-track deportation procedure, dealing a blow to his mass deportation agenda.
The process, known as “expedited removal,” had long been used to swiftly deport migrants caught near the Mexican border within two weeks of entry. Since January, however, Trump’s administration extended its use nationwide to target migrants who had been in the country for up to two years.
US District Judge Jia Cobb ruled against the expansion on Friday, warning that it risked people being “erroneously” deported without a fair chance to prove their residency status.
“Unlike the group of people who have traditionally been subject to expedited removal — those detained at or near the border shortly after crossing — the group of people the Government is now subjecting to expedited removal have long since entered our country,” Cobb stated in her 48-page opinion.
She criticised the government’s argument that migrants who entered illegally have no constitutional rights.
“In defending this skimpy process, the Government makes a truly startling argument: that those who entered the country illegally are entitled to no process under the Fifth Amendment, but instead must accept whatever grace Congress affords them. Were that right, not only noncitizens, but everyone would be at risk,” she wrote.
The case was brought by Make The Road New York, a migrant rights organisation. Cobb, appointed by former president Joe Biden, stressed that the ruling did not question the constitutionality of expedited removal itself or its long-standing use at the border.
Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to deport millions of undocumented migrants, has faced repeated legal setbacks over due process protections for those targeted.
Cobb also cited the US Constitution, which guarantees that “no person shall be removed from the United States without opportunity, at some time, to be heard.”
AFP
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
