WASHINGTON — A federal court has blocked the Trump administration’s fast-track deportation policy.
The decision late last night stems from a 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 case is Make the Road New York v. Noem.
The lawsuit and ruling come 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 court granted the groups’ request to halt the policy as the case is litigated.
The following is reaction to the ruling:
“The Trump administration’s expansion of fast-track deportations has subjected thousands of people to an unfair, arbitrary, and error-prone system. The court’s decision reaffirms the fundamental principle that people receive due process when the government seeks to deport them or their families,” said Anand Balakrishnan, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project and lead counsel.
“We are glad the judge recognized the immense due-process problems posed by this administration’s reckless expansion of expedited removal. This policy has inflicted enormous harms on MRNY’s members and community, and it has to stop. We will continue to defend our communities from unconstitutional attacks levied by this administration, because we are here to stay,” said Harold Solis, co-legal director of Make the Road New York.
“This ruling is a vital reminder that due process is not optional. Expanding expedited removal would have exposed thousands to potential wrongful deportation, without even the chance to make their case. We welcome the court’s decision to block this dangerous policy. If the government can sidestep people’s due process rights, it sets a dangerous precedent that puts everyone’s rights at risk,” said Aditi Shah, staff attorney with the ACLU of the District of Columbia.
“This decision rightly rejects the Trump administration’s extremist, unjust policy of fast-tracking mass deportations without due process,” said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. “This cruel policy tried to deny hundreds of thousands of people — parents, workers, friends, and loved ones — their constitutional right to a fair hearing, putting them at risk of wrongful deportation. Everyone deserves a fair day in court when their future is on the line.”
The ruling is here.
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