Illinois lawmakers want chaotic “mega master” hearings at Chicago’s immigration court to end
<p>Illinois' Democratic Congressional delegation is calling for the end of so-called “mega master” hearings that have packed immigration courts with chaos and led to record numbers of immigrants missing court and becoming targets for deportation.</p><p>U.S. Raja Krishnamoorthi denounced the hearings as the “latest effort to weaponize the immigration courts to facilitate mass removals” at the expense of due process, in a five-page letter sent to Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday.
Reported by 1 outlet — Chicago Sun-Times. See all sources ↓
<p>Illinois' Democratic Congressional delegation is calling for the end of so-called “mega master” hearings that have packed immigration courts with chaos and led to record numbers of immigrants missing court and becoming targets for deportation.</p><p>U.S. Raja Krishnamoorthi denounced the hearings as the “latest effort to weaponize the immigration courts to facilitate mass removals” at the expense of due process, in a five-page letter sent to Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday. The lawmakers repeatedly cited recent Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ reporting in the letter, which was signed by nearly every Illinois Democratic member of Congress.</p><p>At Chicago’s Downtown immigration court, Sun-Times and WBEZ reporters<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/07/24/chaotic-crowded-chicago-immigration-mega-court-hearings-are-fueling-record-deportation-orders" > documented</a> daily schedules with as many as 185 cases per judge, tiny courtrooms holding dozens more people than they were designed for, and drastically shrinking notice time for immigrants to appear before a judge — with or without a lawyer.</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center> <div class="RelatedList-title">Related</div> <ul class="RelatedList-items"> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/07/24/chaotic-crowded-chicago-immigration-mega-court-hearings-are-fueling-record-deportation-orders" >Chaotic, crowded Chicago immigration mega court hearings are fueling record deportation orders</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p>“These so-called mega master hearings appear to be the latest example of policies prioritizing enforcement and deportation quotas over due process, while creating unnecessary fear, confusion, and uncertainty for the communities we represent,” the Illinois Democrats wrote to the Department of Justice, which oversees immigration court. “Immigration proceedings must prioritize fairness and the rule of law, rather than numerical enforcement targets.”</p><p>The lawmakers also asked for explanations for the reductions in notice time to appear in court and for guarantees of adequate personnel to handle the steep rise in cases.</p><p>“Immigrants have the right to have their case considered, but EOIR has made a mockery of due process in favor of meeting arbitrary deportation quotas,” Durbin said in an email, referring to the Executive Office of Immigration Review, the official name for immigration court.
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- <p>Illinois' Democratic Congressional delegation is calling for the end of so-called “mega master” hearings that have packed immigration courts with chaos and led to record numbers of immigrants missing court and becoming targets for deportation.</p><p>U.S. Raja Krishnamoorthi denounced the hearings as the “latest effort to weaponize the immigration courts to facilitate mass removals” at the expense of due process, in a five-page letter sent to Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday.
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Illinois lawmakers want chaotic “mega master” hearings at Chicago’s immigration court to end
Sources1TypeCoverageChicago Sun-Times