The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) has published a know-your-rights alert covering "Mega Master" hearings and other new policies now taking effect in US immigration courts. The guidance is aimed at people in removal proceedings, their families, and advocates, and it explains what changes in the courtroom and what respondents can do to protect their rights.

The alert responds to a shift in how immigration judges schedule and manage their dockets. Instead of individual master calendar hearings held one at a time, some courts are convening large grouped hearings — the practice NIJC labels "Mega Master" hearings — in which many respondents appear before the judge in a single session. The NIJC alert walks readers through what these hearings involve and how to prepare for them.

What does the "Mega Master" hearing change?

A master calendar hearing is normally the first substantive appearance in a removal case, where a respondent confirms identity, responds to allegations, and indicates forms of relief they intend to seek. Under the grouped format described in the alert, numerous respondents go through this stage together rather than individually.

For people in proceedings, the format change raises practical questions the NIJC guidance addresses directly:

• How to understand what the judge asks when many cases are handled in one sitting
• How to state a request for time to find a lawyer before accepting any outcome
• Which rights a respondent keeps regardless of the hearing format
• What to do if a respondent does not understand the interpreter or the proceedings

The core message of the NIJC alert is that the right to counsel, the right to a fair hearing, and the right to seek immigration relief do not disappear because a hearing is grouped with dozens of others.

Who is affected?

The guidance applies to respondents in removal proceedings in US immigration courts, a system overseen by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) within the Department of Justice. Family members, sponsors, and legal service providers supporting respondents also fall within the audience for the know-your-rights materials.

The NIJC alert stresses that respondents do not have to navigate these hearings without information. It sets out the basic rights that apply in immigration court and explains, in plain language, the steps a person can take when they appear — including asking for a continuance to obtain counsel and indicating relief they may be eligible to pursue.

Why does this guidance matter now?

The NIJC describes the new hearing practices alongside other recent immigration court policy changes. Court procedures can shift quickly, and respondents who appear without knowing their rights may unintentionally waive options available to them, such as time to find representation or the opportunity to apply for relief before an immigration judge.

The alert functions as a practical toolkit rather than a legal analysis. It tells respondents what to listen for, what to say, and what to ask for when they appear before a judge, whether in a "Mega Master" session or a standard individual hearing.

Where can readers find the official guidance?

The full know-your-rights materials, including the explanations of "Mega Master" hearings and the other new immigration court policies, are published by the National Immigrant Justice Center on its website. Readers in proceedings, and those assisting them, should consult the NIJC alert directly for the current wording of the guidance, as court practices continue to evolve.

The NIJC also directs people who need legal assistance to qualified immigration attorneys and accredited representatives. Its alert is general information about rights in immigration court, not advice for any individual case. Respondents with questions about their own proceedings should speak with a licensed immigration lawyer or a DOJ-accredited representative, and should verify hearing dates and court locations through official EOIR channels, including the EOIR automated case information line and the immigration court where their case is filed.

Know-your-rights resources like this one are designed so that no one has to face an immigration judge without understanding what is happening. The NIJC alert on "Mega Master" hearings and the accompanying court policy changes is its most current statement of those rights for people in removal proceedings.