Immigration judges in New York City ordered record numbers of people deported in absentia during June 2025, with 4,447 removal orders issued for those who missed hearings—more than double May's total. The surge coincided with the Trump administration's "mega master" hearings, which compressed typical hearing schedules from 180 days to 42 days in advance and assigned single judges dockets of over 100 cases daily. Many immigrants reported learning of new hearing dates only through online portals rather than required written mail notice. Nationally, in absentia removal orders reached 53,808 in June, a 55% increase from May and the highest on record since the 1990s.