Trump to Resume Accelerated Deportations Following Court Approval

An appeals court authorized Donald Trump to resume accelerated deportations of undocumented immigrants throughout the United States. The ruling revives a tool that bypasses immigration court proceedings in many cases.

The decision opens the door to faster expulsions far from the border. It also reignites debate over due process, administrative error, and the scope of executive power in immigration matters.

What Did the Court Decide?

The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit voted 2-1. The majority concluded that expanding accelerated expulsion did not, for now, violate the rights of immigrants.

Judge Justin R. Walker, appointed by Trump, wrote that Congress had delegated discretion to the Executive. In his opinion, the administration could decide which groups would be eligible for expedited deportation.

Walker also recalled that this tool has not been static. He said that for years it was applied unevenly, but everything changed in January 2025. Then, the Executive expanded the measure to the maximum allowed by Congress.

The majority’s position is based on the idea that the law already contemplated that margin. The Immigration and Nationality Act grants the Secretary of Homeland Security broad discretion to adjust the use of expedited removal.

The decision does not end the legal battle. It only allows the government to continue applying the policy while the case proceeds. Nevertheless, the change already has immediate impact on immigration practice.

Who Will Be Affected by the Measure?

Previously, accelerated removal was used primarily near the border. It also applied to people detained shortly after entering the country. The new version expands the scope to any point in the territory.

Under the rule resumed by Trump, undocumented immigrants who cannot demonstrate two years of continuous presence can enter this process. That burden falls on the detained person, not the government.