The Trump administration is accelerating immigration court proceedings through “mega” master hearings and shortened preparation timelines in an effort to address a substantial backlog of pending cases. Data from Mobile Pathways, a nonprofit tracking immigration court information, shows that more than 1,300 such hearings—where judges are assigned dozens or hundreds of cases daily—occurred in June alone, nearly triple the number from the previous June. Simultaneously, courts have reduced the preparation time for complex immigration proceedings from approximately six months to often little more than a month.
The compressed schedules have produced significant operational consequences. No-show rates among immigrants scheduled for hearings have doubled from approximately 20% at the start of the administration in January 2025 to 40% by June. Deportation orders have increased correspondingly, rising from nearly 33,000 in January 2025 to approximately 79,000 in June. Cases deemed “abandoned” are now occurring at nearly five times the historical average dating back to 2009, with even higher ratios in specific jurisdictions including New York and Chicago.
Court observers note logistical challenges accompanying the accelerated pace. Individual judges are handling hearings with limited time per case, often lasting less than five minutes. Some immigrants have reportedly received deportation orders while physically present in courthouse buildings but confused about procedures. Attorneys representing immigrants report similarly strained conditions, with caseloads increasing dramatically. Despite these concerns, administration officials and immigration policy advocates supporting stricter enforcement argue the approach addresses long-standing systemic delays and serves the public interest by resolving cases more expeditiously.
The backlog in immigration courts has decreased for the first time in at least a decade, dropping from 3.7 million to 3.5 million pending cases in fiscal 2025, according to the Executive Office of Immigration Review. However, critics including immigration attorneys and legal advocacy organizations contend that the accelerated procedures compromise due process and result in valid asylum claims being dismissed before receiving proper adjudication.
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