The second Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts have been substantially advanced through changes in how the nation’s immigration courts operate, according to recent data and court observations. The administration recorded its highest number of immigration arrests in recent months, with June seeing more than 100,000 immigration cases closed, predominantly through deportation orders issued by courts nationwide.
A notable shift in court procedures has involved what attorneys term “mega-masters”—expansive group hearings that process cases at unprecedented speed and scale. In Chicago, one immigration judge oversaw as many as 185 fast-tracked cases in a single sitting, compared with a historical average of approximately 20. From March through June, deportation orders issued by Chicago judges increased by 120%, with more than 78% of completed cases in June resulting in what courts call removal orders “in absentia,” where judges order deportation because immigrants failed to appear at hearings.
Immigrant advocates have raised concerns about the fairness of these proceedings. Many immigrants reported never receiving notices of rescheduled appointments, sometimes moved to dates months or years earlier than originally set. Some stated fear of attending hearings following high-profile arrests at immigration court facilities. In Chicago, court scheduling practices resulted in as many as 611 people being told to arrive simultaneously, creating administrative chaos and making it difficult for individuals to attend their proceedings.
Historically, master calendar hearings served administrative functions such as reading immigrants their rights and setting future hearing dates. Under current practices, these early court interactions have taken on greater consequences. Mega-masters involving 70 to 150 cases at once were rare before May but expanded significantly in June. Data from Kansas City showed that when individuals received only 15 days’ notice of rescheduled hearings, 56 of 93 cases resulted in absentia orders, while 196 days’ notice produced only 9 absentia orders among 96 cases, suggesting notice timelines substantially affect outcomes.
Nationwide, mega-masters generated more than 20,000 absentia orders in June, representing roughly two of every five such orders despite involving only a fraction of the nation’s approximately 700 immigration judges. Absentia orders constituted more than two-thirds of all removal decisions that month, totaling just under 79,000. Fewer than 2% of completed cases resulted in immigrants obtaining any form of relief. Legal representation remained scarce, with just over one in five deported immigrants having attorney representation in June. Reopening removal cases is legally complex, and immigrants without legal assistance face substantial barriers to challenging orders.
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