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Mass immigration court dockets in Miami lead to long lines and rising deportation orders
The federal government has accelerated hearing schedules to address case backlogs, while advocates argue the change leads to missed appearances and swift removals.
The short version
- Under a new federal scheduling practice known as mega master calendar hearings, immigration judges are processing dockets of over 100 individuals at a time, up from around 36 cases under previous practices.
- The change has resulted in multi-block queues outside the Miami immigration court, with attendees and legal advocates reporting that long wait times cause individuals to miss scheduled appearances.
- Data from legal platform bklg indicates nationwide in-absentia deportation orders rose to over 54,000 in July, reflecting a 60% increase over recent months.
- Federal officials state the fast-tracked hearings are necessary to reduce severe case backlogs, while immigration attorneys warn that shortened notice periods impede access to legal counsel.
Key facts
- Under the new hearing format, immigration judges manage single-session dockets exceeding 100 individuals, compared to approximately three dozen cases handled previously.[NPR]
- Nationwide deportation orders issued for failure to appear in court reached roughly 56,000 in June and over 54,000 in July, marking an estimated 60% rise over previous months according to legal platform bklg.[NPR]
- In the Miami immigration court specifically, in-absentia deportation orders increased 108% from 1,383 in May to 2,886 in July.[NPR]
- The increase in court volume has been driven by accelerated hearings originally set for 2027, higher monthly arrest numbers, and required court appearances for cases previously designated as low priority.[NPR]
- Representatives for the Department of Justice and the Executive Office for Immigration Review stated that clearing the case backlog is a major priority and that scheduling adjustments will continue as additional judges are hired.[NPR]
What remains uncertain
- It remains unclear how many missed court appearances and subsequent in-absentia deportation orders were directly caused by entry queue delays rather than deliberate no-shows or notification delivery failures.[NPR]