Illinois Democratic members of Congress, including Senator Dick Durbin and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, issued a joint statement on Friday demanding that the "megamaster" scheduling practice be halted at the immigration court in Chicago. The delegation said the current system has produced courtroom disorder, led to a record number of immigrants missing their scheduled hearings, and undermines the due‑process protections that the immigration system is supposed to provide.
The "megamaster" hearings refer to a scheduling method in which a large volume of removal cases are grouped together and set for the same day or short period. Critics argue that the approach overwhelms the court’s capacity, forcing judges and attorneys to manage dozens of cases simultaneously. As a result, the court environment becomes chaotic, and many individuals are unable to attend, missing critical opportunities to present their cases.
Durbin and Krishnamoorthi highlighted that the practice appears to be used as a mechanism to speed up mass removals, sacrificing the individualized review required for each case. The lawmakers contend that the accelerated pace compromises the fairness of proceedings and increases the risk of erroneous deportations. Their statement calls on the Department of Justice and the Executive Office for Immigration Review to abandon the megamaster format in favor of a more orderly, case‑by‑case scheduling system.
The demand comes amid broader scrutiny of immigration court operations nationwide, where backlogs and procedural shortcuts have drawn criticism from advocacy groups and legal experts. Illinois officials note that Chicago’s court is a focal point for these concerns, given its high volume of cases and the visible impact on the local immigrant community. By seeking an end to the megamaster hearings, the delegation aims to restore procedural integrity and ensure that each immigrant receives a fair hearing before any removal decision is made.