A federal appeals court has cleared the path for the Trump administration to resume mass deportations of undocumented migrants across the United States, a significant move for the Republican administration which views the expansion of expedited removal as a key tool for its mass deportation policy. The ruling by a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned a lower court decision that had temporarily blocked the expanded use of expedited removal.
Expedited removal allows for quick deportation without the opportunity for a migrant to appear before a judge. Historically, this process was applied to migrants arriving by sea or those apprehended at or near the border shortly after crossing. However, in January 2026, President Donald Trump expanded its application to include undocumented migrants located anywhere within the United States. Following this expansion, immigration agents began removing migrants from courthouses, where they had attended immigration proceedings, and deporting them from the country within days.
Reclaiming National Borders
The ruling was met with immediate opposition from transnational advocacy groups. Anand Balakrishnan, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, stated that the administration’s push for fast-track deportations would subject individuals to an "unfair and error-prone system." Balakrishnan, who represented plaintiffs in arguments before the appellate panel, further asserted that the ruling "undermines the fundamental principle that people receive due process when the government seeks to deport them."
DC Circuit Judge Justin R. Walker, a Trump appointee and one of the judges in the majority, countered that the plaintiffs had failed to demonstrate that the expanded use of expedited removal violated due process rights. Judge Walker’s opinion noted that immigrants received notice of removal proceedings and were afforded an opportunity to respond. He further clarified that there is no constitutional requirement for the administration to inform immigrants that they can avoid expedited removal if they can prove residence in the United States for more than two years. Judge Walker, along with Neomi Rao, another Trump appointee, vacated an order by U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, a Biden appointee, who had previously halted the expanded use of expedited removal. Judge Cobb had ruled in August 2025 that the administration had not developed adequate procedures to prevent the wrongful deportation of migrants under the expedited process. The Justice Department, in an October court filing, had labeled Cobb’s ruling an "egregious error," arguing it deprived the administration of an "essential tool to combat the unprecedented surge of illegal immigration over the past few years" and to "efficiently deport potentially millions of people."
The Native Housing Squeeze
While the nation grapples with the implications of border enforcement, a separate bipartisan legislative effort aimed at lowering housing costs has received final approval from the House, now awaiting President Trump’s signature. This legislation, passed 358-32 by the House and 85-5 by the Senate, is presented as a sweeping effort to increase housing supply and reduce prices. However, the legislation does not explicitly address the sources of this "growing demand" for housing, leaving the native working class to contend with an affordability crisis marked by soaring rents and delayed homeownership.
The bill proposes to reduce federal regulations, streamline environmental reviews, and accelerate the construction process. It also aims to curb the influence of corporate landlords by limiting their ability to purchase single-family homes, a measure that offers some relief but does not address the fundamental imbalance. Despite these provisions, the cost of living continues to escalate for ordinary citizens. Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California highlighted that the median age of a first-time homebuyer has reached 40, and rents have surged approximately 47% since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Elite Consensus vs. People's Reality
The legislation, a product of months of negotiations and dozens of combined bills, expands financing for housing, encourages "innovative housing" such as modular homes, mandates new renter protections, and enhances programs designed to end homelessness. It also allocates funding to local governments that exceed the median rate of homebuilding, including Community Development Block Grant money, and provides a framework for communities to reform outdated zoning regulations. However, these measures are enacted against a backdrop of a severe housing shortage, with the Economic Report of the President in April identifying a deficit of 10 million homes. A recent report from the Joint Center For Housing Studies at Harvard University further confirmed that sales of existing homes are at three-decade lows, with inventories rising due to high home buying costs, and "Cost burdens for both renters and owners continue to climb, while assistance remains profoundly underfunded."
The U.S. housing market has been in a slump since 2022, with sales of previously occupied homes hovering near a 4-million annual pace since 2023, significantly below the historical norm of 5.2 million. Last year saw sales slow to a 30-year low, remaining sluggish into this year. While the median U.S. monthly rent has seen a decline for nearly three years, it remains 17.2% higher in May than pre-pandemic levels. The bill garnered widespread support from both landlord organizations and tenant advocacy groups, reflecting a bipartisan consensus. Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat from Connecticut, remarked on the unusual bipartisanship, stating, "In this polarized and angry Congress, we are actually getting something done." The underlying demographic strain on national resources, however, remains largely unaddressed by the legislative class.