Immigration courts have begun implementing a new strategy that attorneys and immigrant advocacy organizations say could significantly speed up the issuance of deportation orders. These are the so-called “megahearings”, procedures in which more than 100 people are summoned simultaneously to appear before an immigration judge.

The measure comes amid efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to increase the number of deportations and reduce the historic backlog in immigration courts, where millions of pending cases are currently concentrated.

According to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), courts traditionally scheduled between 20 and 30 people for initial hearings known as “master calendar hearings.” However, in recent months some courts have begun to convene groups of more than a hundred immigrants in a single session.

The first reports of this practice have emerged in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Dallas and Indianapolis, while specialized lawyers anticipate that the model could spread to more jurisdictions throughout the country.

Due process concerns

Immigration experts warn that mega hearings could increase the risk of immigrants receiving deportation orders in absentia. This occurs when a person fails to appear for a scheduled court date, allowing the judge to issue a removal order without hearing their case.

Vanessa Dojaquez-Torres, policy and practice advisor at AILA, expressed concern that many of these hearings are being rescheduled at short notice, which could prevent some immigrants from receiving proper notification.

According to the lawyer, the problem especially affects those who do not have legal representation. In many cases, immigrants rely on mailed communications or updates in electronic systems that they do not always check regularly.

Legal advocacy organizations also point out that mass hearings can make access to interpreters difficult and limit opportunities for each person to fully understand the procedures or raise questions about their immigration status.

Some lawyers describe sessions in which judges offer collective instructions to dozens of people at the same time, a dynamic they consider insufficient for cases that can determine the future of entire families.

Hiring judges and pressure to reduce the backlog

The implementation of the mega hearings coincides with a broad reorganization within the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the Department of Justice agency in charge of administering the immigration courts.

Recently, the government announced the addition of dozens of new immigration judges and temporary military attorneys to take on judicial duties. According to the Department of Justice, it is the largest personnel expansion in the system's recent history.

The administration maintains that these measures seek to restore the efficiency of the courts and ensure compliance with immigration laws. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the goal is to strengthen a system that for years has faced a record backlog of dockets.

However, critics of the strategy point out that the increase in hiring occurs after more than a hundred judges left or were separated from their positions during the last year, which contributed to deepening the existing lag.

The new policy also comes at a time when the White House maintains a priority of increasing deportations and accelerating the resolution of immigration cases. While the government argues that the reforms are necessary to decongest the courts, legal organizations maintain that any effort to streamline processes must guarantee that immigrants have effective access to due process and a fair hearing before facing possible expulsion from the country.

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