US EditionMigrants thought they were in court for a routine hearing. Instead, it was a deportation trap
Courthouse arrests coordinated with immigration lawyers enable rapid deportations amid a surge of voluntary self-deportations, with over 14,000 in early 2025, nonprofit data shows.
- Over several months, reporters for The Associated Press observed routine immigration court appearances across 21 cities turn into deportation traps, with migrants arrested in courthouse hallways after hearings as part of aggressive deportation tactics.
- The Justice Department set up a color-coded dashboard and required performance metrics, including a 700-case minimum for judges, to meet quotas and reduce caseloads, officials say.
- Inside courtrooms, Homeland Security lawyers mark spreadsheets to flag cases and move to dismiss claims during hearings, while government attorneys text ICE agents in real time.
- The shift has had immediate effects: in a court backlog of about 3.8 million asylum cases, families face separation amid $30 million in eliminated legal-assistance programs and over 14,000 self-deportation requests in early 2025.
- Policy changes leave courts with immigration judges labeled 'inferior officers' and limited independence as the Justice Department issues memos while DOJ says DHS decides arrests, officials said.
17 Articles
17 Articles
By JOSHUA GOODMAN and TIM SULLIVAN The government attorney knew what was going to happen while she was standing in the courtroom and sending a text message to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who was waiting in a hallway a few meters away. “I can’t handle this,” the lawyer said in a text message while reviewing her case list. “This is a new emotional burden.” “I understand,” the officer replied. “I hope we’ll meet again in …
The main immigration court in Manhattan, United States, became the epicentre of a wave of arrests with the complicity of the federal authorities.
The government attorney knew what was coming while she was standing in a courtroom and sending a text message to an Immigration and Customs Service agent who was waiting for her in a corridor a few meters away. “I can’t handle this,” the lawyer said in a text message while she was reviewing her case list. “This is a new emotional burden.” “I understand,” the officer replied. “I hope we’ll find ourselves in a better situation again. Near there, a…
Migrants Thought They Were in Court for a Routine Hearing. Instead, It Was a Deportation Trap
The government lawyer knew what was coming as she stood inside a courtroom and texted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent waiting in a corridor a few feet away.
The government attorney knew what was going to happen while she was standing in the courtroom and sent a text message to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who was waiting in a hallway a few meters away.
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