Alexandra Villarreal

US immigration courts are increasingly using large, short-notice “mega master” hearings to process hundreds of cases at once. Many immigrants, particularly those without lawyers, reportedly receive inadequate notice or avoid courthouses because of fears of arrest; those who fail to appear can be deported in absentia without presenting their claims. Researchers found a sharp rise in such orders, including 53,808 nationwide in June, while critics say EOIR has become an arm of the Trump administration’s mass-deportation strategy. The practices have reduced access to individualized hearings and made it difficult to reopen cases, even when people never received proper notice.