Attorney General William Tong has joined 18 other state attorneys general in challenging the Trump Administration’s expansion of expedited removal procedures for undocumented immigrants. The coalition filed an amicus brief in the case Make the Road New York v. Noem, urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to maintain a district court order that temporarily blocks this policy change.
Expedited removal allows federal officials to deport individuals quickly, often within hours or days, without access to a judge or other legal safeguards. Previously, this process was limited to those apprehended near the border and within 14 days of arrival in the United States. Under new rules from the Department of Homeland Security, expedited removal can now be applied anywhere in the country if an individual cannot prove continuous residence for at least two years.
Attorney General Tong criticized these changes, stating: “Move fast and break things should never apply to families, lives, or our Constitution. The Trump Administration is making terrible errors everywhere. They are erroneously detaining and deporting American citizens, ripping families apart, ignoring grave and legitimate asylum claims, and shackling people on one-way flights to horrific foreign jungle prisons. The legal protections guaranteed by our Constitution cannot be erased on the whims of an erratic and impatient President.”
The attorneys general argue that expanding expedited removals increases risks of wrongful detention and deportation due to mistakes by immigration officers who must make complex determinations about residency status among a population exceeding 340 million. There have already been reports of U.S. citizens and lawful residents being mistakenly detained during enforcement actions.
The coalition also highlights broader impacts on communities and states. Many community members reportedly fear leaving their homes for essential activities due to concerns over deportation sweeps. Over 5.5 million U.S.-born children live in mixed-status households and could face significant hardship if family members are removed from the country.
The economic consequences could be substantial as well; projections indicate that continued mass deportations could reduce gross domestic product by up to 7.4% by 2028, increase prices by more than 9%, and result in tens of thousands of job losses across the United States.
Connecticut joins California, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington State and the District of Columbia in filing this brief.
A copy of the brief is available here.
