Immigration attorneys across the nation are reporting a significant shift in how immigration courts are conducting initial deportation hearings, with some proceedings now involving as many as 100 cases scheduled simultaneously.
Joseph M. Perez, an immigration attorney with more than two decades of experience, described an unprecedented situation at a hearing in Annandale, Virginia. Where master calendar hearings typically involve ten to fifteen individuals, the presiding judge announced that 100 cases appeared on that day’s docket.
Master calendar hearings represent the first formal step in deportation proceedings. During these sessions, immigrants facing deportation appear before a judge to be informed of their legal rights and the charges against them. Traditionally, these hearings have been conducted on an individual basis or with small groups to ensure proper legal procedure.
However, attorneys are now encountering what they have termed “mega master” hearings, where dozens of cases are consolidated into single proceedings with minimal advance notice. Legal professionals suggest this represents a deliberate strategy by the current administration to expedite deportations.
Multiple attorneys have reported that previously scheduled master calendar hearings are being abruptly canceled and merged into larger proceedings. Attorney Briana Carlson represented a client in Virginia on Monday at a hearing where the judge announced 80 cases on the docket. Her client’s original hearing had been scheduled for July.
“He was scheduled for a hearing in July, which we knew about, but we were preparing an application for relief, and so my paralegal happened to check the portal for that relief, and that’s when she found the new hearing date that had been advanced to today, which no one received notice of,” Carlson explained.
When Carlson contacted an immigration court in Sterling, Virginia, regarding a separate case that had also been rescheduled, a court clerk informed her that the court had received a nationwide directive to advance master calendar hearings if they were scheduled for July or later.
The Executive Office for Immigration Review, the Department of Justice agency that oversees immigration courts, did not deny the existence of such a directive. In a statement, a spokesperson said the agency “prioritizes the timely completion of all cases.”
“Unnecessary delay hurts both aliens with meritorious claims and the American public who wish to see aliens with non-meritorious claims removed as quickly as possible. As it continues to add new immigration judges, EOIR will continue to make scheduling adjustments to ensure all cases are handled in a timely and lawful manner,” the spokesperson stated.
The developments have prompted the American Immigration Lawyers Association to issue guidance urging attorneys to constantly monitor their online calendars for unexpected schedule changes.
The implementation of these mass hearings raises questions about due process and the ability of immigration courts to provide adequate individual attention to cases. While the administration maintains that expediting proceedings serves both legitimate claimants and the public interest, attorneys are expressing concern about the practical implications of handling such large volumes of cases simultaneously.
The situation reflects the broader tension between the administration’s commitment to accelerated deportation procedures and the legal community’s concerns about maintaining proper judicial standards in immigration proceedings. As these mass hearings continue, the balance between efficiency and due process remains a central concern for those involved in the immigration court system.
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