Overview
- A three‑judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit vacated a lower‑court block in a 2‑1 decision, allowing the Trump administration to resume applying expedited removal across the United States.
- The court majority, led by Judge Justin R. Walker, said the administration lawfully may use expedited removal for noncitizens who cannot prove two years of continuous U.S. presence and found written notices and brief opportunities to object met constitutional due process requirements.
- Judge Robert L. Wilkins dissented, warning the interior use of the fast‑track process is "woefully inadequate" because officers are not required to ask how long a person has lived in the country and documented errors have led to wrongful removals.
- The policy targets so‑called 'gotaways' and those without on‑the‑spot proof of two years' residence while exempting people who can document two continuous years in the U.S. and asylum seekers who passed an initial credible‑fear screening.
- DHS praised the decision and urged voluntary self‑deportation with a $2,600 stipend, immigrant‑rights groups called the ruling a threat to due process, and advocates said they are exploring further legal challenges as implementation moves forward.