Immigration Courts Accelerate Deportation Orders
Immigration courts, under the U.S. Justice Department, are speeding up immigrant hearings drastically. This aims to increase deportation orders. Immigration attorneys and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) revealed this tactic to NPR.
Massive master calendar hearings, or ‘mega masters,’ now include over 100 people. Previously, these hearings had two to three dozen participants. For many immigrants, this is their first court appearance to present their case to stay in the U.S.
Attorneys noted these hearings mainly target individuals without legal representation. Those arriving late or missing the hearings often receive deportation orders. This shortens the limited due process for immigrants.
Concerns About Due Process
Vanessa Dojaquez-Torres, a policy counsel at AILA, expressed concerns. She stated that court notices often fail to reach those without lawyers. Courts may not have enough seating for these large hearings, potentially prompting automatic deportation orders.
The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), responsible for immigration courts, did not comment on this strategy. The practice began in Chicago, Boston, and Chelmsford, MA, and will soon start in Dallas. President Trump’s goal is to increase deportations to one million annually, surpassing the 600,000 mark in 2025.
Overwhelmed Courthouses
Missing a hearing can lead to a judge issuing a removal order. Under the current administration, more people miss court out of fear of detention. Dojaquez-Torres said immigrants without lawyers may not become aware of rescheduled hearings. There’s often little notice, either by mail or electronically.
“They’re anticipating that the majority will not show up and they’ll just be able to say that they completed X number of cases because they’ll be in absentia orders of removal,” commented a Texas-based immigration attorney, wishing to remain anonymous.
Massive hearings could overwhelm courtrooms and staff. While some clients might benefit from earlier case schedules, most unrepresented immigrants won’t see these advantages.
DOJ Workforce Adjustments
This isn’t the first effort to hasten cases during Trump’s second term. EOIR prioritized certain nationalities’ cases, including Somalis, Syrians, and Iranians. Juvenile immigrant cases are also advancing.
The DOJ recently recruited its largest class of immigration judges, onboarding 77 judges plus five temporary military lawyers. Overall, they hired 153 judges this fiscal year, a record number.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized the hiring would restore law and order within the nation’s immigration system. However, EOIR lost a quarter of its judges last year, with over 100 dismissals.
Lastly, NPR found judges with immigrant advocacy backgrounds face higher dismissal rates than those with DHS experience.