Expedited removal

Expedited removal is a process related to immigration enforcement in the United States where an alien is denied entry to and/or physically removed from the country, without going through the normal removal proceedings (which involve hearings before an immigration judge). The legal authority for expedited removal (in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA)) allows for its use against most unauthorized entrants who have been in the United States for less than two years.

Over time, the scope of eligibility has been expanded and contracted at the discretion of the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, and as of 2025 is at the maximum extent allowed by law. This includes any deportable alien encountered anywhere in the country, who has been present in the United States for less than two years.