More than 117,000 immigrants, many of whom have lived in the United States for over a decade, face potential deportation after the Trump administration aggressively sought to reopen cases previously paused by immigration judges, according to an NBC News analysis.
The majority of these requests, known as recalendaring, were filed in Arizona, California, Florida, and New York. In California alone, over 30,000 cases were targeted for reopening—a staggering 14,000% increase compared with the last year of the Biden administration.
Administrative Closure: A Longstanding Practice
For decades, immigration judges have used administrative closure to temporarily remove cases from court calendars without dismissing them. This practice allows judges to manage backlogs and prioritize cases while giving immigrants a chance to pursue legal relief, such as asylum or green card eligibility. Many of these cases involve individuals considered low-priority for deportation, with no serious criminal history and strong familial or community ties in the U.S.
“These are cases that were effectively tabled because they weren’t appropriate to proceed at the time,” said Carmen Maria Rey Caldas, a former immigration judge.
Policy Shift Under Trump
In April, the Department of Justice issued a memo criticizing administrative closure as a tool used by administrations “opposed to robust immigration enforcement,” claiming it worsens backlogs and allows immigrants to remain in the U.S. indefinitely without resolving their legal status.
An EOIR spokesperson told NBC News that administrative closure has contributed to a “possibly unconstitutional and unlawful amnesty program,” though judges retain discretion over whether to grant reopening requests.
Challenges for Attorneys and Immigrants
Immigration lawyers report struggling to locate clients whose cases were reopened after years of inactivity. Some cases involve immigrants who have moved abroad, passed away, or adjusted their legal status, while others include incorrect or outdated information in reopening notices.
“These recalendaring requests sometimes arrived without individualized review,” said one attorney. “We’re trying to piece together cases we haven’t seen in years.”
Judges remain independent and must decide on each case individually, though the sheer volume of reopened cases is straining resources.
Government Response
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Communications at the Department of Homeland Security, stated that Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem are “following the law and resuming these illegal aliens’ removal proceedings while ensuring their cases are heard by a judge.”
Critics warn that this push could upend lives for long-settled immigrants and families while potentially overloading an already backlogged court system.
