The second Trump administration recorded its highest number of immigration arrests in June 2026, coinciding with a significant shift in the US immigration court system. Across the country, judges have been accelerating mass hearings, often called “mega-masters,” where dozens or even over a hundred cases are processed simultaneously. This rapid pace leaves many immigrants little time to prepare and has resulted in a surge of deportation orders.

In June alone, more than 100,000 immigration cases were closed, primarily through court-issued removal orders. Notably, over 78% of these cases ended with removal orders in absentia, meaning immigrants or asylum seekers were deported after failing to appear at their hearings.

The impact of this policy is starkly illustrated in Chicago, the US’s third largest city, where a single immigration judge managed up to 185 fast-tracked cases in one session—far exceeding the typical 20 cases previously handled. The scale of these “mega master” hearings, involving 70 to 150 cases at once, was rare before May 2026 but has since ballooned dramatically.

These hearings, often immigrants’ first interaction with the court, have become increasingly perilous under the current administration. They are marked by courthouse arrests and efforts to disqualify cases based on unpaid fees or the possibility of deportation to countries immigrants have never visited, rather than on case merits.

This shift in the immigration court process is a key factor behind the recent surge in deportations, beyond the visible presence of armed agents on the streets.

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