Immigration Courts and Enforcement

An NPR analysis of January–November 2025 immigration‑court data found nearly every U.S. court issued more in‑absentia removal orders than in the prior period, with a clear spike beginning around June. NPR links that timing to ICE’s ramped‑up practice of making arrests inside courthouses, and attorneys such as Texas lawyer Ruby Powers say immigrants have become hesitant to attend hearings out of fear, driving missed appearances and resulting removal orders.