The faster we deport undocumented immigrants, the safer our country will be. This belief has become a foundational tenant of the Trump administration’s immigration regime and its increased use of the expedited removal program.
Expedited removal was originally introduced in 1996 as an amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), granting the executive branch discretion to accelerate the deportation process in limited contexts. Under this fast-track program, undocumented immigrants who have entered the country in the last two weeks can be deported without any
hearing or meaningful review, as long as they are apprehended within 100 miles of any U.S. border. However, the current administration was concerned that the program was not being utilized to its full statutory extent.