A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has halted the Trump administration’s plan to expand fast-track deportations. The order came on Friday, and it marked a major setback for the government’s mass removal agenda.

Judge’s Sharp Ruling

First, Judge Jia M. Cobb ruled that the expansion gave migrants too little legal protection. The policy, announced in January, tried to apply “expedited removal” beyond the border. Previously, officials used the process only for migrants caught near the US-Mexico border.

Moreover, Cobb strongly rejected the government’s defense. She wrote, “In defending this skimpy process, the Government makes a truly startling argument: that those who entered the country illegally are entitled to no process under the Fifth Amendment. Were that right, not only noncitizens, but everyone would be at risk.”

Rights Groups Challenged Policy

Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of immigrant rights group Make the Road New York. The case began after the Department of Homeland Security said it would apply fast-track removal to migrants who had lived in the US for less than two years.

Limits Stay in Place

However, Cobb clarified she was not questioning the law’s use at the border. Instead, she said expanding it nationwide created “a significant risk of erroneous removal.” Many undocumented migrants, she noted, have lived in the US for more than two years.

In the end, she allowed the rule to remain in place near the border. Migrants stopped within 100 miles and present for less than 14 days still face expedited removal. Yet, she warned that broadening the rule created “an intolerable risk” of wrongful deportation.