Chicago Immigration Court Issues Record Removal Orders in June

The Chicago Immigration Court issued 6,012 removal orders in absentia during June 2026, the highest number of such orders for any city in the United States that month. This represents a sharp increase from the 1,267 orders issued in February 2026.

The spike in removals coincides with the implementation of Mega Master hearings. These proceedings summon large groups of individuals to appear in a single courtroom simultaneously. Observers noted that some sessions summoned 125 individuals on a single morning, while other lists exceeded 200 people.

Katie Curtin of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights monitored the hearings, noting that some lists included over 200 people.