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Original Date Announced
May 26, 2026NPR reports that the Trump administration is rolling out "mega master" calendar hearings that "include 100 or more people at a time." Previously, no more than two or three dozen people were scheduled for master calendar hearings before an immigration judge on a given day. Attorneys say the new hearings largely target people without lawyers representing them; those who show up late, or not at all, are receiving removal orders. Most of the noncitizens required to attend these "mega master" hearings originally had hearing dates set for 2027-2029; attorneys explain that immigrants and their counsel have often received little to no written or electronic notice regarding the advancement of their hearing dates.
The practice reportedly started in Chicago, Boston, and Chelmsford, and is soon to start in Dallas.
Trump 2.0 [ID #2291]
2026.05.26 Reported: Immigration Courts Begin Using "Mega Master" Calendar Hearings - NPREffective Date
May 26, 2026Subsequent Trump and Court Action
June 1, 202626.06.01 Reported: Trump Administration Begins Mass Deportation Proceedings in NYC Immigration Court - The City Reporter
As reported by The City Reporter, the Trump administration began using "mega-master" hearings in New York City immigration court on June 1, 2026. As one example, Immigration Judge Arya Ranasinghe was assigned 121 cases in one day. The City Reporter states that more than a hundred cases in a day in New York City was "virtually unheard of" before June 1. Thirty-nine individuals were ordered removed because they had not shown up. Several people who did appear said that they did not receive written notices of their hearing date changes by mail, and were only able to find out about the date by checking their online portal.
View DocumentCurrent Status
NoneOriginal Trump Policy Status
Status: ReportedTrump Administration Action: Change in PracticeSubject Matter: Hearings and AdjudicationsAgencies Affected: EOIR
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Commentary
2026.05 National Immigrant Justice Center - Know Your Rights: Responding to Pleading Declarations
The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) promoted a know-your-rights guide regarding the “Pleading Declaration,” a form that noncitizens in removal proceedings may be asked to sign in response to a Notice to Appear. NIJC states that unrepresented individuals appearing at mega master hearings may be given the form to complete.
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