Immigration courts speed deportation orders through mass hearings

Federal immigration courts are scheduling some migrants for mass hearings on short notice and issuing deportation orders when they do not appear, part of a broader push under the second Trump administration to accelerate removals.

In one San Antonio courtroom in mid-July, Judge Brittany A. Rodriquez reviewed cases that included adults and children, including people whose hearings had been moved up. The docket also included people who missed hearings and could be ordered removed in absentia.

Critics said the changes have weakened due process by limiting notice, transparency, judicial discretion, appeals and the chance for immigrants to be heard. An Executive Office for Immigration Review spokesperson said the agency makes scheduling adjustments so cases do not languish and handles cases in a timely and lawful manner.

Read the full story at theguardian.com.