The incoming administration will move to expand its existing authorities like state and local law enforcement partnerships and expedited removal to scale up the federal government’s ability to arrest and deport more people. |
As we look ahead to 2025 and the uncertainty around federal immigration policy, it will be increasingly important for states and localities to safeguard the safety and well-being of their immigrant residents. They can do this by enacting policies that protect immigrant rights, ensuring equitable access to services, and prioritizing public safety over unnecessarily performing federal immigration enforcement duties. |
The incoming Trump administration has pledged to carry out mass deportations starting on Day One. But the standard removal process requires certain legal steps to be taken before someone can be ordered deported.
The same isn’t true for expedited removal, a fast-track deportation process that allows low-level immigration officers to deport people without a court hearing. Unlike other removal orders, an expedited removal order cannot normally be appealed and often carries a five-year bar to reentry.
This fact sheet from the American Immigration Council on expedited removal explains how the process works, how it’s been used in the past, and concerns about its lack of judicial review and potential for erroneous deportations.
Read more: Expedited Removal Explainer |
Last week, three senators called on the Biden administration to extend protections for vulnerable immigrants whose status could soon be in jeopardy. They asked for the administration to strengthen the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program and quickly process renewals applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative.
Their suggestions mirror some of those made by the Council last month, in which we asked President Biden to use his final days in office to protect people at risk under Trump’s indiscriminate immigration enforcement plans.
Read more: Biden Should Use His Authority to Protect Vulnerable Immigrants Before He Leaves Office |
You can also help us pressure the Biden administration to take immediate protective measures before Trump takes office. We need to make sure we use every day to delay mass deportations and protect as many immigrants as possible.
Use this form to tell your members of Congress to urge Biden to act now.
Take Action: Last Requests for the Biden Administration |
