Legal Battle Against Trump's Expedited Deportations

An immigrant advocacy group is challenging President Trump's policy to broaden fast-track deportations, claiming it violates due process rights. The lawsuit seeks to limit the policy to restrictions set by President Biden's administration. The new rule expands expedited removal to those lacking legal status, bypassing usual legal protections.

An immigrant advocacy group filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to challenge President Donald Trump's plan to widen the scope of fast-track deportations, fulfilling his promise to expel millions of individuals residing in the United States unlawfully.

The complaint, lodged by Make the Road New York, claims that the policy, known as expedited removal, infringes on constitutional rights to due process and contravenes immigration law. The group argues that individuals subjected to this policy are deprived of legal representation and the chance to contest their deportation.

The case aims to reinstate restrictions defined by the Biden administration, limiting expedited removal to individuals captured within 14 days of crossing the border and within 100 miles from it. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security's recent expansion targets anyone without legal status in the U.S. for less than two years, sidestepping longstanding legal safeguards associated with regular deportation hearings.

Anand Balakrishnan, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union representing the advocacy group, criticized the expansion, asserting it circumvents due process and constitutional protections. This policy resembles a similar initiative from Trump's previous tenure, enacted in 2019.

(With inputs from agencies.)