The U.S. Department of Justice is accelerating the process for immigrants’ hearings in its immigration courts, aiming to increase deportation orders. This change involves grouping hearings for large numbers of immigrants, focusing on issuing more removal orders. Immigration attorneys and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) have shared these tactics with NPR.

Significantly larger master calendar hearings, called “mega masters,” are now scheduled. These sessions can include over 100 people, compared to previous sessions of only two or three dozen. This initial court appearance is crucial for immigrants attempting to secure their stay in the U.S. Many immigrants, often without legal representation, face greater challenges in these settings.

“A major concern is that this strategy includes people without attorneys, increasing automatic deportation orders,” said Vanessa Dojaquez-Torres, policy counsel at AILA. She remarked on the limited seating available for such crowded hearings.

The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), which oversees the DOJ’s immigration courts, has not commented on the strategy. These practices have begun in cities like Chicago and Boston and will soon start in Dallas.

Under President Trump’s directive to deport a million people annually, these changes aim to address court backlogs. The administration views these courts as barriers to rapid deportation. Judges can issue removal orders if individuals miss hearings, an occurrence that has risen, according to NPR’s analysis. Fear of detention may contribute to this trend.

Immigrants might not receive adequate notice of rescheduled hearings, putting them at risk of deportation. Some hearings, originally set for future years like 2027, have been moved up. A Texas-based attorney highlighted that if individuals attend these large hearings, it may lead to overwhelmed courtrooms and staff.

While some clients benefit from expedited scheduling, most immigrants lack legal representation and face increased pressure. The EOIR has been prioritizing certain nationalities and juvenile cases for hearings. The DOJ recently announced a significant influx of new immigration judges, with the aim of reinforcing the immigration system under Trump’s administration. These efforts coincide with the departure and firing of numerous judges who represented immigrant clients, as per an NPR analysis.