A U.S. federal judge has blocked former President Donald Trump’s attempt to expand expedited deportations, ruling the policy unlawful and affirming the legal rights of long-term migrants. The decision has sparked significant political and legal debate.
Judge Jia Cobb, appointed under President Joe Biden, issued the ruling on Friday, August 29, in Washington, D.C. She found that detaining and deporting migrants who have lived in the United States for years violates federal law.
Cobb explained that, unlike individuals apprehended at or near the border—who are already subject to fast-track removal—long-term residents cannot be deported without due process. She stressed that these migrants are entitled to legal protections and cannot be stripped of their rights arbitrarily.
In her decision, Cobb sharply criticized the government’s approach, arguing that extending expedited deportation to people with established lives in the U.S. undermines fundamental legal principles.
Traditionally, expedited removal applied mainly to border detainees. Trump’s policy, however, sought to expand its scope to include migrants who had long settled in U.S. communities, many of whom have families, jobs, and deep roots in the country.
The immigrant advocacy group Make the Road New York challenged Trump’s measure in court, warning that it would allow deportations without hearings and deny migrants the chance to defend their cases.
The ruling represents a major setback for Trump’s hardline immigration agenda, which has faced mounting legal and political challenges since his return to national politics. Analysts suggest the decision could intensify clashes between federal courts and Trump’s renewed policy efforts.
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