WASHINGTON - Immigrants’ rights groups are asking a court to block the Trump administration’s fast-track deportation policy.
The move is part of an ongoing lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of the District of Columbia, and New York Civil Liberties Union, which are suing the Trump administration over the policy on behalf of Make the Road New York. The groups filed a motion today in federal court in Washington, D.C., seeking to block the policy as the case is litigated.
The action comes as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stakes out immigration courthouses and arrests people at their scheduled appointments and then attempts to quickly deport them without any due process. Due process requires they get a fair hearing, which this Trump rule strips from them.
“The Trump administration is using this illegal policy to fuel its mass deportation agenda and instill fear in immigrant communities,” said Anand Balakrishnan, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project and lead counsel. “People who are complying with their legal obligations are basically being ambushed by ICE at their court appointments. The administration’s actions are unprecedented and lawless, and we are asking the court to act swiftly to stop it.”
“The expansion of expedited removal is violating basic rights and inflicting terror on our communities. Every day, we are seeing families ripped apart and people who have lived here for years and attended court be handcuffed, detained in deplorable conditions, and subjected to a fast-track deportation system that is riddled with errors,” said Sienna Fontaine, co-executive director of Make the Road New York. “This administration’s reckless attempt to deprive people of their legal rights under the law is a serious threat to our legal system and puts everyone at risk of wrongful deportation. All people, regardless of immigration status, have the right to a fair process in their case, but this policy aims to strip immigrants of that right. We will continue to fight against this administration’s unlawful schemes and ensure that all people have the fundamental right to due process.”
“The right to due process requires that people receive a full and fair hearing before they are deprived of an important interest. Expedited removal lacks key procedural safeguards and has a long track record of errors that will be amplified by the government’s expansion of this system. To protect people’s fundamental rights, we are urging the court to stop this expansion while this case proceeds,” said Aditi Shah, staff attorney with the ACLU of the District of Columbia.
“The Trump administration's cruel policy of fast tracking mass deportations blatantly disregards due process and puts countless lives at risk,” said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. “This extremist, unfair policy puts thousands of vulnerable people — parents, workers, friends, and loved ones — at risk of wrongful deportation without proper review. The Trump administration must restore the essential legal safeguards that ensure basic fairness and accountability — because everyone deserves a fair day in court when their future is on the line.”