D.C. Appeals Court Restores Trump's Nationwide Expedited Deportation Expansion
A three-judge D.C. Circuit panel voted 2-1 on June 23, 2026, to let the Trump administration resume its expanded expedited removal policy nationwide.[1]
The policy covers undocumented immigrants anywhere in the U.S. who cannot prove at least two years of continuous residence.[1] Judges Justin Walker and Neomi Rao joined the majority; Judge Robert Wilkins dissented.[1] The ruling overturns a nationwide stay issued by D.C. District Judge Jia Cobb in August 2025 that had found the expansion likely violated due process and risked wrongful deportations.[1]
On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to expand expedited removal to its maximum statutory scope. DHS published a Federal Register notice the next day rescinding the Biden administration's 2022 rescission and applying the fast-track process nationwide to noncitizens unable to prove two years of continuous presence. Immigrant advocacy groups sued, and D.C. District Judge Jia Cobb issued a nationwide stay on August 29, 2025.
The decision immediately restores a tool the administration says will speed removals, a move supporters hailed as an enforcement victory while critics warned it could cause wrongful deportations.[1] ICE conducted about 340,000 deportations in fiscal year 2025, a 25 percent increase from fiscal year 2024.
The mainstream summary does not mention the significant context surrounding the unauthorized immigrant population, which reached an estimated 14 million in 2023 and remained above 13 million as of mid-2025. This demographic reality underscores the scale and potential impact of the expedited removal policy, as it targets a substantial segment of the population that may be affected by the ruling. Moreover, while the summary emphasizes the increase in deportations under the Trump administration, it does not highlight that ICE conducted approximately 340,000 deportations in fiscal year 2025, marking a 25 percent increase from the previous year. This statistic illustrates the intensifying enforcement landscape that the expedited removal policy is set to further accelerate, raising concerns about the potential for wrongful deportations and the broader implications for immigrant communities.[2][3]
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📊 Relevant Data
The U.S. unauthorized immigrant population reached an estimated 14 million in 2023 and likely remained above 13 million as of mid-2025 despite subsequent declines.
Key findings about U.S. immigrants — Pew Research Center
ICE conducted approximately 340,000 deportations in fiscal year 2025, a 25 percent increase from 271,000 in fiscal year 2024.
A New Era of Immigration Enforcement Unfolds in the U.S. — Migration Policy Institute
📌 Key Facts
- On June 23, 2026, a three-judge D.C. Circuit panel voted 2-1 to allow the Trump administration’s expanded expedited removal policy to resume nationwide.
- The policy applies to undocumented immigrants anywhere in the U.S. who cannot prove at least two years of continuous residence.
- The decision reverses an August 2025 ruling by D.C. District Judge Jia Cobb that had found the expansion likely violated due process and risked wrongful deportations.
- Judges Justin Walker and Neomi Rao joined the majority opinion; Judge Robert Wilkins dissented.
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