Migrants arriving for what they believed were routine immigration hearings found themselves walking into carefully orchestrated deportation traps, according to an extensive Associated Press investigation into the fundamental transformation of America's immigration court system under President Donald Trump.
Courtroom Arrests Coordinated via Text Message
The disturbing new reality inside immigration courtrooms was captured in text messages obtained by AP reporters, showing close coordination between government lawyers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. In one exchange, a visibly distressed government attorney texted an ICE agent waiting nearby: "I can't do this. This is a new emotional load."
The agent responded sympathetically, but the operation continued unabated. Moments later, a Cuban man who had lived in the United States for years arrived with his legal resident wife and their 7-month-old infant for what he thought was a standard hearing. Instead, the government lawyer quickly moved to dismiss his asylum claim, making him immediately eligible for expedited removal.
As the family left the courtroom, plainclothes immigration agents swarmed the man. A struggle ensued while his wife's desperate shouts echoed through the hallway. Four minutes later, the ICE agent sent a triumphant text: "Got him."
Systematic Transformation Under Trump
These scenes represent part of a comprehensive makeover of immigration courts since Trump's return to the White House. His 2024 campaign pledge to implement hardline immigration policies contributed significantly to his election victory, but current implementation has drawn widespread criticism.
About 57% of American adults now disapprove of Trump's handling of immigration, according to a recent survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Over several months, AP journalists observed proceedings in 21 cities, repeatedly witnessing cases being dismissed by the government to enable immediate arrests by plainclothes federal agents. The text messages revealing this coordination were provided by a government official who feared reprisal and requested anonymity.
The investigation reveals how the nation's 75 immigration courts now function like assembly lines, with many courtrooms effectively serving as deportation traps rather than venues for fair hearings.
Quotas and Spreadsheets Replace Due Process
According to multiple US officials who spoke anonymously for fear of retaliation, courthouse arrests are coordinated days in advance to meet quotas, with little consideration for individual case circumstances.
Homeland Security lawyers maintain spreadsheets identifying cases "amenable" to dismissal, allowing asylum-seekers to be immediately rearrested and placed in expedited removal proceedings. ICE reviews these spreadsheets and selects targets, then agents maintain direct communication with DHS lawyers during hearings.
Contrary to administration claims of targeting dangerous criminals, most detained individuals lack criminal convictions, according to Cato Institute analysis of ICE data. The majority are men without legal representation who entered the US alone and are required to appear in court personally.
One ICE agent's text during a hearing illustrates the coordination: "Black shirt? Let me know if the judge dismissed."
Purge of Immigration Judges
The Trump administration has fired almost 90 immigration judges viewed as too lenient since returning to power. Among them was Tania Nemer, who was terminated in the middle of a hearing on February 5.
"As soon as he said 'Grab your ID,' I knew I was being terminated," Nemer recalled. She received a digitally signed letter offering no justification, though she suspects her Arab-sounding name and previous work representing migrants contributed to her dismissal.
The fired judges had granted asylum in approximately half of their cases, compared to 34% nationwide, according to data from Mobile Pathways. All ten judges appearing on the DHS Bureaucrat Watch List—created with funding from The Heritage Foundation—were among those purged.
The Justice Department has issued 52 policy memos since January—more than the previous six years combined—making it easier to hire and fire judges and warning against pro-migrant bias. The memos refer to judges as "inferior officers," a rarely used constitutional term highlighting their diminished status.
Chilling Effect and Legal Challenges
The aggressive tactics have produced one desired outcome: voluntary departures have soared, with over 14,000 people seeking court permission to self-deport in the first eight months of 2025—more than the previous five years combined.
Meanwhile, the gutting of immigration courts has driven migrants to federal courts, where judicial independence standards remain higher. Since courthouse sweeps began on May 15, migrants have filed more than 3,000 habeas corpus petitions seeking release from detention.
Legal assistance for migrants has dried up after Trump's budget cuts eliminated $30 million in programs providing free legal help. Organisations like American Gateways now operate from parking lots across from courthouses, their former conference rooms repurposed as break rooms for ICE agents.
For those inside the system, work has become a stressful grind. One DHS lawyer described being haunted at night by the sound of migrants' shackles, while government attorneys fear harassment and update their resumes amid the deteriorating conditions.
As one tormented government lawyer reflected, holding a signed copy of Elie Wiesel's "Night" marked as DHS training material: "This isn't what any of us signed up for."
