Immigration courts in Dallas are now scheduling up to 142 migrants before a single judge in one afternoon, a dramatic shift from the previous practice of handling just a couple dozen cases daily. The Trump administration’s new approach, dubbed “mega master” hearings, is generating deportation orders at unprecedented speed while raising serious concerns about due process rights.
Courtrooms Overflow as New Policy Takes Effect
Judge Tara Naselow-Nahas, Dallas’s top immigration judge, scrambled to open additional courtrooms this week as hallways filled with families waiting for hearings. Security guards directed overflow crowds to lobbies and cafeterias as 122 people appeared Monday afternoon in a single courtroom. The scene repeated Tuesday when 142 individuals faced Immigration Judge John Poore starting at 1 p.m. Lines of migrants stretched down entire hallways, with toddlers and single parents among those waiting to learn their fate in the United States.
The bulk hearing strategy has emerged in cities nationwide, including San Antonio, San Diego, New Orleans, and Boston. Immigration attorneys warn the compressed schedule risks violating migrants’ rights if they lack adequate notice. “What the administration is calling a court proceeding is actually a mechanism for generating deportation orders in bulk,” said Caitlin Bellis, director of advocacy for the National Immigration Project.
Backlog Crisis Drives Administration Strategy
The Justice Department, which oversees immigration courts, identified reducing the federal backlog as a top priority. More than 3.2 million cases await resolution nationally, with Dallas holding nearly 166,000 pending cases—the highest total in Texas. Department spokespersons said scheduling adjustments will continue as more immigration judges join the bench. Missing a court appearance typically results in automatic deportation orders, raising stakes for migrants navigating the system.
Dan Weiss, a former Dallas immigration judge now practicing immigration law, acknowledged the emphasis on case completions but warned of strain on an already pressured system. “It’ll increase the case completions, but it also increases the pressure on the judges, increases the pressure on the staff to process all these orders,” Weiss explained.
Families Face Impossible Choices
Janeth Hernandez arrived Tuesday with her six children for their 1 p.m. hearing, despite hearing rumors about Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests at courthouses. The family took a 35-minute bus ride from Irving to downtown Dallas, carrying legal documents and uncertainty about their future. Hernandez had presented herself and her children at the border in October 2024 after fleeing cartel violence in Michoacan, Mexico. She received notice to appear in Dallas court on June 16. Like most migrants at these mass hearings, Hernandez lacked legal representation—federal immigration court provides no constitutional right to an attorney unlike criminal proceedings.