Appeals Court Backs Expanded Fast-Track Deportations

A federal appeals court has greenlit the Trump administration’s plan to broaden fast-track deportations, allowing the government to bypass standard judicial review for migrants apprehended anywhere in the U.S. The 2-1 decision overturns a lower court’s injunction, effectively reviving a policy that targets non-citizens lacking two years of residency.

Editorial·June 23, 2026·reads: 908

Appeals Court Backs Expanded Fast-Track Deportations

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the Department of Homeland Security may extend expedited removal beyond the border to the interior of the country. Writing for the majority, Judge Justin Walker argued that the current statutory framework allows the administration to enforce removals with practical speed, asserting that the process still provides migrants with sufficient notice and an opportunity to contest their status.

This decision reverses a August 2025 ruling by U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, who had initially blocked the expansion on the grounds that it violated constitutional due process rights. In his dissent, Judge Robert Wilkins criticized the majority for permitting removals without requiring officials to verify how long a person has lived in the U.S., calling the procedure inadequate for interior enforcement. DHS General Counsel James Percival welcomed the ruling as a vindication of the law, while the American Civil Liberties Union, representing Make the Road New York, warned that the policy creates an error-prone system that threatens fundamental legal protections.