US Immigration Courts Issued 79,000 June Deportation Orders as 78% Came in Absentia
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 27
US Immigration Courts Issued 79,000 June Deportation Orders as 78% Came in Absentia
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 27
Summary
More than 100,000 immigration cases were closed in June, with just under 79,000 ending in removal orders and fewer than 2%—1,883 cases—resulting in any relief for immigrants.
Accelerated "mega-master" hearings drove the surge, packing 70 to 185 cases into single sessions and often giving immigrants little notice after court dates were moved up by months or years.
Absentia orders made up more than 78% of completed cases and over two-thirds of all removal decisions; one estimate says mega-masters alone produced more than 20,000 such orders in June.
Chicago judges' deportation approvals jumped 120% from March to June, while a Kansas City judge issued 56 absentia orders from a docket with 15 days' notice versus nine from one with 196 days.
Those orders feed the Trump administration's broader deportation push because immigrants who miss hearings—often without knowing—lose their chance to seek asylum and become easier targets for arrest and removal.
How are massive mega-master hearings turning delayed mail and short notices into immediate deportation orders?
What happens to legal due process when courts schedule hundreds of complex cases simultaneously in one room?
June 2026 Immigration Court Surge: 53,808 In Absentia Removal Orders and the Impact of Mega Master Hearings
Overview
In June 2026, the U.S. immigration court system saw a record surge in deportation orders, mostly for immigrants who missed their hearings. This crisis began when the Trump administration launched 'mega master' hearings, packing over 100 people into a single session and slashing the time between notice and court date. Many immigrants never received proper notice, while fear of ICE arrests at courthouses kept others away. Judges quickly issued automatic deportation orders for absentees, especially those without legal help. New Supreme Court rules made it easier for the government to deport people in absentia, while the system expanded detention funding and hired more judges to push cases through faster, often at the cost of fairness and due process.