Statement by the Press Secretary on an Immigration Decision in Federal District Court

Once again, a single district judge has suspended application of Federal law nationwide—removing whole classes of illegal aliens from legal accountability. In 1996, Congress passed a law explicitly and unambiguously authorizing expedited removal of illegal aliens within two years of their arrival in this country—a law currently codified in 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(1)(A)(iii). While previous administrations severely curtailed application of this law, the Trump Administration has used this critical tool to the full extent that Congress authorized to respond to the unprecedented crisis in our immigration system and at our southern border. That tool is vital to addressing the many aliens in the United States who have no right to remain here. A single judge is now prohibiting the Government from enforcing the law as written.

For two and a half years, the Trump Administration has been trying to restore enforcement of the immigration laws passed by Congress. And for two and a half years, misguided lower court decisions have been preventing those laws from ever being enforced—at immense cost to the whole country.