Justice Department batches immigration hearings

Why it matters

The Justice Department is moving hundreds of immigration cases into large, consolidated master calendar hearings as it tries to accelerate removals through the immigration court system. NPR reported on May 26 that the hearings — described by lawyers as “mega masters” — can include 100 or more people at a time. The shift comes as the Executive Office for Immigration Review, or EOIR, pushes to reduce a court backlog that stood at 3,288,186 active cases at the end of March, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Immigration lawyers and advocates told NPR the new scheduling could increase missed hearings and lead to more deportation orders entered when immigrants are absent. ### How are these hearings different from a normal court date? EOIR’s own policy manual says a master calendar hearing is ordinarily used for pleadings, scheduling and other preliminary matters. The manual says judges are supposed to advise respondents of their right to counsel at no expense to the government, explain the charges in non-technical language, take pleadings and set deadlines for applications and evidence. NPR reported that the new “mega master” sessions group far more people together than a standard master calendar setting. (npr.org) The American Immigration Lawyers Association and attorneys who spoke to NPR said some immigrants are being moved from existing dates into these larger sessions on short notice. KQED, which carried the NPR report, said the hearings are being used as immigration courts “drastically” accelerate proceedings with the goal of issuing more deportation orders. (justice.gov) ### Why does missing one of these hearings matter so much? A September 12, 2025 EOIR policy memorandum on notices of hearings says that if an immigrant fails to appear and the notice requirements and removability are established by “clear, unequivocal, and convincing evidence,” the person “shall be ordered removed in absentia.” The same memo says that when a hearing is changed or postponed, a new notice of hearing must be provided with the new time or place. (ideastream.org) EOIR’s practice manual also says respondents must appear at the date, time and location listed in the notice to appear or notice of hearing. NPR reported that lawyers fear the compressed scheduling will raise the odds that immigrants miss hearings because notices arrive late, addresses are outdated or people do not understand that a prior date has been changed. Those concerns focus on absentia orders, which can carry immediate removal consequences. ### How much pressure is the court system under? (justice.gov) TRAC said immigration courts had 3,288,186 active pending cases at the end of March 2026, including 2,318,797 immigrants awaiting asylum hearings or decisions. TRAC also said immigration judges had issued 332,437 removal and voluntary departure orders so far in fiscal 2026 through March, with deportation ordered in 81.7% of completed deportation cases in March alone. (npr.org) A September 12, 2025 EOIR memorandum on case priorities said the agency must achieve the “effective and efficient enforcement” of immigration laws and said the backlog had grown to “historical levels.” That memo said the policy applied to new cases and to cases that were reopened, recalendared or remanded. ### Is the administration adding judges at the same time? EOIR said on May 21 that it swore in 77 immigration judges and five temporary immigration judges, calling it the largest class of new adjudicators in the agency’s history. (tracreports.org) The agency said the additions brought the immigration judge corps to nearly 700 and that 153 permanent immigration judges had been hired in fiscal 2026, the most in any single year in EOIR history. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and EOIR Director Daren K. (justice.gov) Margolin spoke at the investiture in Washington. That hiring push is unfolding alongside the new hearing strategy. NPR reported that immigration attorneys and the American Immigration Lawyers Association described the “mega master” approach as new and unprecedented in their experience. ### What should readers watch next? May 21 is the latest public EOIR milestone tied to the court expansion, with the agency’s judge hiring announcement now on the record. (justice.gov) May 26 is the date of the NPR report that first described the “mega master” hearings in detail. The next public signs of how broadly the policy is being used are likely to come through additional EOIR notices, court scheduling changes and updated backlog data from EOIR and TRAC. (ideastream.org)

Key numbers

• The Justice Department moved hundreds of immigration cases into mass “mega master” hearings on May 26, 2026, accelerating court schedules inside its immigration system.
• NPR reported hearings can include 100 or more people at once, and missed appearances can trigger in-absentia deportation orders.
• EOIR said on May 21 it had sworn in 77 immigration judges and 5 temporary judges, with more cases still pending.
• NPR reported on May 26 that the hearings — described by lawyers as “mega masters” — can include 100 or more people at a time.

What happens next

• NPR reported on May 26 that the hearings — described by lawyers as “mega masters” — can include 100 or more people at a time.
• Immigration lawyers and advocates told NPR the new scheduling could increase missed hearings and lead to more deportation orders entered when immigrants are absent.
• NPR reported that lawyers fear the compressed scheduling will raise the odds that immigrants miss hearings because notices arrive late, addresses are outdated or people do not understand that a prior date has been changed.

Sources

• npr.org
• justice.gov
• ideastream.org
• justice.gov
• tracreports.org
• justice.gov
• justice.gov

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