Trump administration tightens US immigration courts, detention and green‑card process
US immigration courts have begun holding "mega‑masters" that group 100 or more undocumented defendants in a single hearing, a tactic meant to speed up deportations. The practice, first used in Chicago, Boston and Massachusetts, is slated to expand to Dallas and reflects the Trump administration’s goal of deporting one million people a year, far above the 600,000 deported in 2025.
In Washington state, four immigration judges in Tacoma have been denying bail to detained migrants for years, a policy that was recently revived nationally and has sparked dozens of lawsuits alleging illegal confinement. The judges based the approach on a 1996 statute that they interpret as requiring detention of all “admission applicants.” The legal battle could reach the Supreme Court.
A separate Trump‑driven policy reinterprets the longstanding adjustment‑of‑status procedure, requiring most green‑card applicants to leave the United States and apply at a US consulate abroad unless they meet narrow extraordinary‑circumstance criteria. Lawyers warn the change could force millions of applicants to separate from their families and face heightened scrutiny.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that, effective immediately, green‑card seekers must submit their applications from their country of origin, except in limited cases. The announcement has caused confusion among immigrants and attorneys, with many fearing delays and potential legal challenges as part of the administration’s broader crackdown on legal immigration pathways.