By Gwurld4026 
Trump Expands Deportation Powers: What It Means for Legal Immigrants
Recent actions by President Donald Trump’s administration have expanded the authority of federal immigration officers to target and deport migrants who entered the United States legally under programs established during former President Biden’s tenure.
A memo from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) outlines plans to revoke temporary legal statuses granted through Biden-era “parole” programs, potentially affecting approximately 1.4 million individuals. This initiative includes the reinstatement of the “expedited removal” process, which now applies nationwide to individuals who entered within the past two years and did not seek asylum within one year of arrival.
In addition to these measures, the Trump administration has broadened deportation powers by granting immigration enforcement authority to agencies within the Department of Justice, such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Marshals Service. This strategy aims to leverage federal law enforcement resources to fulfill the administration’s immigration objectives.
Critics, including immigrant rights groups like Make the Road New York, argue that these policies could unjustly target non-criminals, harm businesses, and divide families. In response, Make the Road New York has filed a lawsuit seeking to block the expansion of the expedited removal process.