Federal immigration courts are working to speed up deportations, reportedly by holding mass hearings with potentially vulnerable subjects.
According to reporting first published by NPR, the Justice Department has scheduled hearings with more than 100 people at a time, holding what are called "mega master" hearings. The procedure is an expansion of the common practice of holding hearings with dozens of immigrants at a time.
Immigration attorneys allege the hearings target immigrants who don't have lawyers. If they miss the date or arrive late to court, they could wind up being deported.
The American Immigration Lawyers Association says the changes could further limit due process protections in an already overwhelmed immigration court system.
At the same time, the DOJ is working to increase the numbers of immigration judges who can hear cases. Last week the DOJ's Executive Office for Immigration Review announced it had hired 77 new immigration judges and brought on five more temporary immigration judges who are originally military lawyers.
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The change is the latest in the Trump administration's increased focus on immigration management.
Last week the administration announced foreigners already in the U.S. and seeking a green card would have to apply from their home country.
