Y’all get all your cake and eat it too don’t you.
"Waiving due process doesn’t mean it was a real choice."
While it's true that many people technically waive their right to a hearing or agree to “voluntary departure,” that doesn't automatically mean the process was just or that they had a meaningful opportunity to assert their rights. Here's why:
Many of those deported never saw a judge because they were subject to "expedited removal" — a fast-track process where an immigration officer acts as judge and jury. People in this process often don’t know they can ask for asylum or legal representation.
Language barriers, fear, and lack of legal knowledge play a huge role. If someone is detained, scared, and told by ICE that signing a paper means they’ll go home faster — they might sign without understanding the consequences. That’s not really “waiving” rights in an informed or voluntary way.
Access to legal counsel is minimal. Immigration court isn’t like criminal court — there’s no public defender system. Many people face complex legal proceedings alone, making it very hard to assert their rights even if they technically have them.
Voluntary return or "stipulated removal orders" were often pushed aggressively during the Obama era.Internal memos and whistleblower reports have shown ICE agents sometimes pressured people into signing removal forms under misleading pretenses.
Even if people waived their rights or accepted removal, that doesn’t mean the process was fair, informed, or consistent with due process ideals.