New immigration court locations throw chaos into due process : NPR

Key Points:

• Immigrants are receiving last-minute or no notifications about new in-person hearings at previously undisclosed courtroom locations in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., complicating their ability to attend and defend themselves.
• The new hearing locations, including a FEMA-occupied building in D.C. and a Falls Church government building, are not traditional immigration courts and lack proper facilities for in-person hearings, with judges and prosecutors often appearing remotely.
• Immigration attorneys warn these tactics violate Justice Department regulations requiring at least ten days' notice and disproportionately affect immigrants without legal representation, increasing the risk of deportation orders in absentia.
• These changes are part of the Trump administration's broader strategy to accelerate immigration court proceedings, reduce case backlogs, and increase final removal orders, often through "mega master calendar" hearings that schedule large numbers of immigrants simultaneously.
• The lack of transparency and sudden changes have caused confusion and fear among immigrants, with some only learning about hearing changes through apps rather than official mail, raising concerns about due process and fairness in the immigration court system.