Immigration courts are using a new tactic to speed up deportations
Immigration courts are implementing a new strategy to expedite deportation hearings by scheduling large group sessions known as 'mega masters.' This approach has raised concerns among immigration attorneys, particularly regarding the lack of legal representation for many immigrants involved. Critics argue that the tactic may lead to increased deportation orders due to insufficient notice and overwhelming court conditions.
- ▪Immigration courts are now holding massive master calendar hearings with 100 or more individuals at a time.
- ▪The new tactic aims to accelerate deportation orders, particularly targeting immigrants without legal representation.
- ▪Many immigrants may not receive proper notice of their hearing dates, increasing the risk of automatic removal orders.
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Exclusive Immigration Immigration courts are using a new tactic to speed up deportations May 26, 20265:00 AM ET Ximena Bustillo A federal officer stands in a hallway at New York Federal Plaza Immigration Court inside the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York in October 2025. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images Immigration courts inside the Justice Department are drastically accelerating immigrants' hearings and bunch them together with the goal of issuing more deportation orders. The new and unprecedented tactic was shared with NPR by immigration attorneys and the American Immigration Lawyers Association, a trade association that tracks trends in these courts.
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