The figure of 622,000 comes from recent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data detailing the number of people formally expelled by immigration authorities over the past year.
Under current policies implemented in 2026, the risk of expedited deportation (expedited removal) has expanded dramatically. While this fast-track process was previously limited mainly to recent border detentions, it now applies nationwide and disproportionately affects certain profiles of the undocumented population.
The groups at highest risk of being processed under this fast-track mechanism (without the right to a hearing before an immigration judge) are as follows:
1. Immigrants who cannot prove 2 years of continuous residence
The current directive authorizes ICE and CBP agents to apply expedited deportation to any undocumented person anywhere in the country who cannot immediately prove they have lived in the United States for at least the past two years.
- The risk: If a person is detained in a raid or routine traffic stop and does not have physical proof of their temporary ties (such as rental contracts, tax payments, medical or school records), they can be deported within days.
2. Immigrants with revoked or under-review temporary status
DHS issued guidelines to evaluate the revocation of temporary legal status for those who entered the country through humanitarian parole programs granted under the previous administration.
- Those who lose this benefit and did not initiate a formal asylum process within their first year in the country are automatically placed on the high-priority list for fast-track deportation.
3. Asylum seekers who do not declare a ‘credible fear’ immediately
Under new border control and interior detention protocols, safeguards for applying for asylum have become much stricter. If a person is intercepted or processed and does not explicitly, immediately, and convincingly express their fear of persecution or torture in their country of origin, the immigration officer has the authority to issue an expedited deportation order without referring the case to a credible fear interview.
4. People with pending applications without physical proof
There is a critical limbo for people who initiated legitimate immigration processes but have not yet received their final documents or lack physical proof of their case status when intercepted by authorities. The lack of immediate access to legal counsel during the first hours of detention prevents them from halting the expedited process.
Recommendation from civil rights organizations: Given the expansion of this mechanism, immigration attorneys insist that any person in a vulnerable situation keep copies of key documents proving their length of residence in the country and avoid signing any voluntary departure or deportation documents without an attorney present.
Image: ElHispanoParaTodos/PRESS
