‘Mega Master’ Hearings Speed Up Deportations in Courts
Immigration courts within the U.S. Department of Justice are deploying a new tactic called “mega master” calendar hearings — scheduling 100 or more immigrants for a single court session, up from the previous norm of two to three dozen — in an effort to dramatically accelerate deportation proceedings. The practice, confirmed by immigration attorneys and first reported by NPR, targets immigrants who often lack legal representation and raises serious questions about due process.
What Are ‘Mega Master’ Hearings?
Master calendar hearings are typically the first court appearance for immigrants seeking to remain in the United States. They are procedural sessions where judges take pleas, set schedules, and address preliminary matters before any full evidentiary hearing. Under the new approach, these sessions now pack in more than 100 cases at once — a dramatic increase from the standard 20 to 35 people per session.
The practice has been confirmed in immigration courts in Chicago, Boston, and Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and is expected to expand to the Dallas Immigration Court. The “mega masters” consist of people whose original hearings were scheduled for 2027, 2028, or 2029 — effectively moving their cases forward by one to three years.
Due Process Concerns
Critics argue the accelerated hearings are designed to maximize “in absentia” removal orders — deportations issued when someone fails to appear for their hearing, even by mistake. Immigration attorneys report that little to no notice is being issued by mail or electronically, meaning immigrants who do not regularly check online accounts could miss hearing date changes.
“The major concern is that [since] this is going to be a group of people without attorneys, that they’re not going to have gotten proper notice,” Vanessa Dojaquez-Torres, practicing policy counsel at the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), told NPR. “So it’s almost like they are being designed to increase how many people get deportation orders automatically.”
One Texas-based immigration attorney, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals, echoed the concern: “They’re anticipating that the majority will not show up and they’ll just be able to say that they completed X number of cases because they’ll be in absentia orders of removal.”
Attorneys also note that courtrooms often lack enough seats for hearings with 100 or more people at once, creating logistical chaos and potentially preventing immigrants from even entering the building.
Broader Enforcement Push
The mega master hearings are part of a sweeping immigration enforcement agenda under the second Trump administration. President Trump has set a goal of deporting one million people per year. In 2025, the administration deported more than 600,000 people, and ICE is on track to deport more than 85,000 under judges’ orders by the end of fiscal year 2026.
An NPR analysis found that in absentia removal orders have increased significantly under the current administration, with fewer people showing up to court for fear of being detained by ICE officers stationed at courthouses.
Record Judge Hiring Amidst a Purge
On May 20, 2026, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) swore in 77 new immigration judges and 5 temporary military lawyers serving as judges — the largest class in agency history, according to a DOJ press release. A total of 153 immigration judges have been hired this fiscal year, the most in any single year.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at the investiture ceremony: “The Trump administration is committed to reestablishing an immigration judge corps that is dedicated to restoring the rule to the law in our nation’s immigration system.”
However, the hiring surge comes after EOIR lost about a quarter of its immigration judges last year, with more than 100 fired. An NPR investigation found that judges with backgrounds in representing immigrant clients were more likely to be fired compared to those who had only worked at the Department of Homeland Security. The Guardian reported that fired judges have filed suit against the Department of Justice, challenging the administration’s authority to terminate immigration judges without cause.
Backlog Reduction
Despite the personnel upheaval, EOIR has made significant progress on its backlog. Since January 20, 2025, the agency has completed more than 1.08 million cases and reduced its pending caseload from approximately 4 million to under 3.53 million — the sharpest decrease in EOIR history.
Analysis and Implications
Legal experts and immigrant rights advocates warn that the mega master hearings represent a fundamental shift in how immigration courts operate — one that prioritizes speed over fairness. Because immigration courts fall under the Department of Justice rather than the judicial branch, immigration judges serve at the pleasure of the Attorney General, giving the executive branch significant control over adjudication.
The policy is likely to face legal challenges from immigrant rights organizations arguing it violates due process rights under the Fifth Amendment. If successful, the mega master model could be expanded nationwide and to other case types, fundamentally changing how immigration courts function.
What’s Next
The Dallas Immigration Court is expected to begin mega master hearings soon, and the administration continues to hire new judges at a record pace. Advocates are watching closely to see whether the policy survives anticipated legal challenges and how immigrant communities will respond to the accelerated proceedings. The coming months will also reveal the actual rate of no-shows at mega master hearings compared to traditional hearings — a key metric that will determine the policy’s effectiveness and its legal vulnerability.