In November 2014, President Obama gave temporary reprieve to millions of immigrants at risk of deportation. But this does nothing to change the fact that the majority of people deported from the United States each year are never given a chance to have their claims heard in court. People denied of their due process rights include asylum seekers, children, people with mental disabilities, U.S. citizens, and people lawfully working in and visiting the United States. They already had rights or claims to stay in the United States — but that wasn't enough to protect them. For these individuals, their fates were decided by immigration enforcement officers, not judges.

American Exile: Rapid Deportations That Bypass the Courtroom explains the underbelly of U.S. immigration policy through the stories of many people who had rights to be here or would be allowed to stay in the United States — if just given a chance. These are some of their stories.