Thread: Cool: NYC Immigration Courts Using Mass Hearings, Deportations For Missing

Cool: NYC Immigration Courts Using Mass Hearings, Deportations For Missing

By William Teach July 24, 2026 – 7:00 am

Wouldn’t it just be easier to self deport, illegals?

NYC immigration courts are ground-zero for a new deportation tool: Mass hearings
Deportation orders to immigration court no-shows are spiking in New York City and nationwide, fueled by mass immigration court hearings that are frequently held with little notice and scheduled for 100 or more participants at a time, according to a new report by bklg.org, an organization analyzing immigration court data.
Immigration judges in New York City issued nearly 4,500 removal orders in June to people who didn’t show up to immigration hearings, up from the 2,000 to 3,000 such orders issued from January through May, according to the data. The June total was the third-highest in the country, behind immigration courts in Dallas and Chicago.
Trump administration officials did not respond to requests for comment on the spike in deportation orders linked to the hearings — colloquially called “mega master hearings” — but federal officials have defended the mass hearings as necessary to clear a yearslong backlog in immigration cases.
The rise in such proceedings comes as the Supreme Court declined to review a lower court’s ruling requiring the federal government to take additional steps to notify immigrants of their hearing when notices are returned in the mail. Immigration attorneys and advocates say the hearings shortchange immigrants who too often fail to receive notice that they have been summoned to court.

Hey, you know what happens to YOU as an American citizen if you miss the mail and fail to show for criminal court a judge can issue a “Failure to Appear” (FTA) and an order for your arrest immediately. Your license can, and probably will, be suspended if you miss traffic court. If you miss a civil court you can lose a suit under default judgement, or have wages garnished or frozen bank account. Miss jury duty and you can be fined or worse. Of course, you are an American citizen, and the Dems are more concerned with illegal aliens.

What concerns are immigration lawyers and advocates raising about the hearings?
Many are sounding the alarm over what they say is an erosion of due process rights for immigrants in the name of increased efficiency.
They say many immigrants receive little to no notice of their hearings. When people don’t appear, judges may order their removal from the country.

Are they in the U.S. illegally? That’s it. Nothing else is needed. Get out.

Cool: NYC Immigration Courts Using Mass Hearings, Deportations For Missing » Pirate's Cove

NYC immigration courts are ground-zero for a new deportation tool: Mass hearings



By Arya Sundaram

Published Jul 23, 2026
Modified Jul 24, 2026 at 11:31 a.m. ET
7 comments



CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Deportation orders to immigration court no-shows are spiking in New York City and nationwide, fueled by mass immigration court hearings that are frequently held with little notice and scheduled for 100 or more participants at a time, according to a new report by bklg.org, an organization analyzing immigration court data.
Immigration judges in New York City issued nearly 4,500 removal orders in June to people who didn’t show up to immigration hearings, up from the 2,000 to 3,000 such orders issued from January through May, according to the data. The June total was the third-highest in the country, behind immigration courts in Dallas and Chicago.
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said the mass hearings are meant to help ease a massive backlog in the immigration courts. And a spokesperson for the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which runs the nation's immigration court system, said the tactic also helps prevent unnecessary delays.
The rise in such proceedings comes as the Supreme Court declined to review a lower court’s ruling requiring the federal government to take additional steps to notify immigrants of their hearing when notices are returned in the mail. Immigration attorneys and advocates say the hearings shortchange immigrants who too often fail to receive notice that they have been summoned to court.
“They say they’re being efficient by having more master hearings at a time to try to deal with the backlog,” said New York City-based immigration lawyer Robert Tsigler. “But it’s just manufactured chaos that’s stripping vulnerable people of due process.”
New York City immigration courts have held among the highest number of mass hearings in the country, and the highest number of people ordered deported in recent months, according to the bklg.org report and a recent analysis by immigration scholar Austin Kocher.

Here’s what else to know about the “mega master” hearings.
How do mega master hearings differ from regular hearings?

Preliminary immigration court proceedings are called master calendar hearings. That’s where judges advise immigrants of their rights, inquire about their legal representation, and schedule future hearings, among other matters. While a typical preliminary court hearing might address 10 to 40 cases, a mega master hearing might encompass 100 or more cases, all before the same judge at the same time, according to immigration attorneys. Participants also are afforded far less notice to appear, sometimes just a few days, compared to the usual few weeks or months, according to the attorneys. And in some cases, the lawyers say, they receive no notice at all.
What does this look like at New York City’s main immigration court?

In recent weeks, the city’s main immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan has featured long lines of people stretching down the hallway, all summoned for “mega master” hearings. Likewise, courtrooms and waiting rooms have been packed with participants. Some spaces are so crowded that participants sit on the floor.
All told, 39 mega master morning hearings have been held in New York City immigration courts between January 2025 and June 2026, with 26 in June alone, second only to the 41 held that month in Chicago, another immigration enforcement hot spot, according to Kocher’s analysis. Only a few such hearings were held each month prior to the surge in recent months.

The data shows the hearings came alongside a sharp rise in removal orders issued in absentia nationwide — nearly 35,000 in May and jumping to nearly 54,000 in June, according to the bklg.org analysis.
What concerns are immigration lawyers and advocates raising about the hearings?

Many are sounding the alarm over what they say is an erosion of due process rights for immigrants in the name of increased efficiency.
They say many immigrants receive little to no notice of their hearings. When people don't appear, judges may order their removal from the country.
Benjamin Remy, an immigration attorney at the New York Legal Assistance Group, said the sheer number of people called to court at once raises questions about whether individuals are getting a true chance to discuss their concerns with the immigration judge.
“It's just people completely get caught up in that kind of grinder of bureaucracy,” Remy said.

What advice are lawyers giving to immigrants about the hearings?

Lawyers recommend that individuals with immigration court cases frequently check their hearing date — at this point, maybe even once a day, according to the National Immigration Project — to see if it has changed. The information can be found online on the Executive Office of Immigration Review Automated Case Information website or on their hotline at 800-898-7180.
Tsigler also recommended individuals retain an attorney, who can receive notices of hearing changes on their behalf, and through a more streamlined electronic system.
If individuals miss a hearing, how people should proceed depends on the specifics of their case, according to the lawyers. But the most common option involves making a motion to the court for reopening their case, according to Tsigler and Remy.
This story was updated with additional comment.

Bo Polny: The GREAT SHAKING Begins 7.18.26 - We Need to Fight This