Key Takeaways
• ICE began expedited removal arrests in immigration courts nationwide starting May 20, 2025.
• Migrants’ cases are dismissed by judges before immediate arrest and fast-track deportation.
• New policies target recent arrivals, those without legal documents, and asylum seekers.
A new immigration enforcement strategy launched by the Trump administration is causing shock and fear among migrants and their families across the United States 🇺🇸. Beginning on May 20, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) started a coordinated operation targeting people with scheduled immigration court hearings. ICE prosecutors are now asking judges to close certain immigration cases, only for ICE agents to immediately arrest these individuals as they leave the courtroom and place them into expedited removal proceedings—a fast-track deportation process that skips the usual court system.
This sweeping change is part of President Trump’s promise to carry out the “largest deportation campaign in American history.” The operation has quickly expanded nationwide, affecting major cities and raising serious questions about due process, fairness, and the future of immigration enforcement in the United States 🇺🇸.
How the New ICE Operation Works
The new enforcement strategy follows a clear pattern that has caught many by surprise:
- Migrants arrive at immigration court for scheduled hearings, often for routine check-ins known as “master calendar dockets.”
- ICE prosecutors ask the judge to terminate or dismiss the case—sometimes with no warning to the migrant or their lawyer.
- Judges grant these requests, telling migrants they are “free to go.”
- As migrants exit the courtroom, ICE agents—often in plainclothes—immediately arrest them.
- The arrested individuals are placed into expedited removal proceedings, a process that allows for quick deportation without a full court hearing.
Immigration attorney Fernando Ferrer described the shock of seeing his clients arrested right after their cases were dismissed: “There was a sense of relief when the government prosecutors moved to dismiss the removal proceedings… But to his shock and dismay, ICE agents arrested his clients immediately after they left the courtroom.”
Where and When Is This Happening?
The operation began on May 20, 2025, and by May 22, it had spread to immigration courts in cities like Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and New York. According to three U.S. immigration officials who spoke anonymously, ICE attorneys were told to start dismissing cases as soon as they arrived at work that Monday, knowing that federal agents would arrest these individuals as they left the courtroom.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that this operation specifically targets migrants with upcoming court hearings. The speed and scale of the operation have left many attorneys and families scrambling for answers.
Why Is ICE Doing This Now?
This strategy is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to speed up deportations and reduce the backlog in the immigration court system, which now stands at about 4 million pending cases. President Trump has made it clear that he believes it is “not possible” to give everyone a trial, signaling a move away from traditional court proceedings.
The administration has also made several policy changes to make this operation possible:
Ending Protected Areas
On January 20, 2025, Acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman ended the Biden administration’s rules that limited ICE enforcement in “sensitive” areas like courthouses. The new policy, formalized in February 2025, allows ICE officers to make arrests in places that were previously off-limits and gives them more freedom to decide when and where to act.
Expanding Expedited Removal
The Trump administration has also expanded who can be placed in expedited removal. This process lets ICE deport people without a court hearing if they:
- Do not have proper documents
- Cannot prove they have lived in the United States 🇺🇸 for more than two years
Expedited removal is much faster than the normal court process, which can take years. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, this change means that many more people are now at risk of quick deportation, especially those who have recently arrived in the country.
Who Is Being Targeted?
The operation is aimed at several groups, including:
- Recent arrivals who entered the United States 🇺🇸 within the past two years
- People who used the CBP One app to enter under the Biden administration (possibly affecting nearly 1 million people)
- Migrants with no criminal records
- Individuals without legal representation
- Asylum seekers
Dallas attorney Haim Vasquez explained that the government is “using a loophole in the system, dismissing a person’s immigration case, thereby removing their temporary protected status and making them immediately eligible for arrest and deportation.” This strategy was recently approved by the Board of Immigration Appeals under a rule that allows for the arrest and deportation of “arriving aliens.”
What Is Expedited Removal?
Expedited removal is a process that allows ICE to deport certain people quickly, without a full hearing in immigration court. If someone cannot show they have been in the United States 🇺🇸 for more than two years, or if they do not have the right documents, they can be removed almost immediately.
- No full court hearing: The person does not get a chance to present their case in front of a judge.
- Limited appeal rights: There are very few ways to challenge an expedited removal order.
- Fast process: Deportation can happen in days or even hours.
For more information on expedited removal, you can visit the official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) page on expedited removal.
Human Impact: Stories from the Courtroom
The new ICE strategy has caused fear and heartbreak in immigrant communities. In Miami, a Cuban father described his devastation after his 22-year-old son was detained: “My whole world came crashing down,” he said, breaking down in tears. “We thought coming here was a good thing,” he added, referring to his son’s court appearance.
Immigration attorney Emily Wietzel, who has practiced for 12 years, said she was shocked by the tactics: “I saw the door swing open, and there were ICE agents waiting there to pick them up. Lack of notice and even basic human decency is what’s super shocking to all of us.”
Many families now fear going to court, worried that showing up for a hearing could lead to immediate arrest and deportation.
Legal and Advocacy Concerns
Immigration lawyers and advocates have raised several serious concerns about this new enforcement strategy:
Due Process Issues
Many experts say the operation ignores basic legal rights. “It’s just a total disregard by the government for due process rights,” said activist Pedro Rios. Attorney Haim Vasquez called it “an abuse of due process” and “an erosion of the judicial process and system in this country.”
Chilling Effect on Court Appearances
Some lawyers worry that these tactics will scare people away from attending their court hearings. Antonio Ramos, an immigration attorney in Miami, warned that the government’s actions are “likely to have a chilling effect in Miami’s large migrant community, discouraging otherwise law-abiding individuals from showing up for their court appearances for fear of arrest.”
Lack of Transparency
Reports say that ICE agents often do not show identification or arrest warrants when making these arrests. In Miami, when a reporter asked for the name of a government attorney who had requested a case dismissal, “she refused and hastily exited the courtroom past one of the groups of plainclothes federal agents stationed throughout the building.”
Despite these concerns, immigration lawyers are still telling their clients to attend court hearings. Missing a hearing can lead to a judge issuing a deportation order in their absence.
Official Responses from the Government
The Department of Homeland Security has defended the new policy. In a statement released on January 21, 2025, a DHS spokesperson said: “This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens—including murderers and rapists—who have illegally come into our country. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest.”
ICE confirmed the operation, saying it is “detaining people who are subject to fast-track deportation authority.” According to ICE, “An immigration judge has reviewed DHS’s motion to dismiss proceedings and agreed that dismissal is appropriate in these cases.”
The Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees immigration courts, has referred questions about the operation to the Department of Homeland Security.
What Does This Mean for Migrants and Their Families?
For people with pending immigration court cases, the risk of immediate arrest and expedited removal has gone up sharply. This creates new uncertainty in an already complicated immigration system. Some key points for migrants and their families to keep in mind:
- Attending court is still important: Missing a hearing can lead to an automatic deportation order.
- Legal representation matters: People without lawyers are at greater risk of being caught up in this process.
- Keep documents handy: Being able to prove you have lived in the United States 🇺🇸 for more than two years may help avoid expedited removal.
- Stay informed: Policies are changing quickly, and what is true today may change tomorrow.
Broader Implications for the Immigration System
This new enforcement strategy marks a major shift in how immigration cases are handled. By closing court cases and moving people directly into expedited removal, the administration is bypassing the traditional court system. While this may help reduce the backlog of cases, it also raises serious questions about fairness and the rights of migrants.
Some legal experts say that while the administration is operating within the technical limits of the law, the approach may violate the spirit of due process. As one attorney put it, “I would not say that it’s illegal. I would say it’s an abuse of due process.”
Advocates worry that these tactics will make it harder for people to trust the immigration system and may discourage them from seeking help or attending court.
What Should Stakeholders Do Next?
For migrants and families:
- Do not skip court hearings: Even with the risk of arrest, missing court can lead to worse outcomes.
- Seek legal help: If possible, get an immigration attorney who can explain your rights and options.
- Gather proof of time in the United States 🇺🇸: Documents like rent receipts, school records, or pay stubs can be important.
- Stay connected to community organizations: Many groups offer support and up-to-date information.
For employers and community leaders:
- Be aware of the risks your employees or community members may face.
- Share accurate information about the new policies and encourage people to seek legal advice.
For advocates and legal professionals:
- Monitor developments closely and document any abuses or rights violations.
- Continue to advise clients to attend court but prepare them for possible encounters with ICE.
Where to Find More Information
For official information about expedited removal and other immigration processes, visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website. This site provides up-to-date details on who can be placed in expedited removal and what rights people have.
VisaVerge.com reports that the expansion of expedited removal and the new ICE strategy could affect hundreds of thousands of people, especially recent arrivals and those without legal help.
Conclusion: A New Era for Immigration Enforcement
The Trump administration’s new ICE operation is changing the way immigration laws are enforced in the United States 🇺🇸. By closing immigration court cases and moving people directly into expedited removal, the government is speeding up deportations but also raising serious questions about fairness and due process.
For migrants, families, and advocates, the best response is to stay informed, seek legal help, and keep attending court hearings—even in the face of new risks. As this policy continues to unfold, its full impact on immigrant communities and the broader immigration system will become clearer.
Staying connected to trusted sources and community organizations will be more important than ever as the landscape of immigration enforcement continues to shift.
Learn Today
ICE → U.S. agency enforcing immigration laws, conducting arrests and deportations nationwide.
Expedited removal → Fast deportation process skipping full court hearings for certain migrants without documents.
Master calendar docket → Routine immigration court hearing for scheduling or case updates.
Due process → Legal right ensuring fair procedures before depriving someone of liberty or property.
DHS → Department of Homeland Security overseeing immigration enforcement and border protection agencies.
This Article in a Nutshell
On May 20, 2025, ICE initiated a nationwide operation dismissing immigration cases to enable quick deportations. This bypasses traditional court hearings, causing fear among migrants and raising due process concerns about immigration enforcement changes under the Trump administration.
— By VisaVerge.com
