Mass Deportation Surge 2026: ICE Airport Arrests & Removal Orders

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If you or someone you love has a pending immigration application, an upcoming court hearing, or travel plans — what’s happening right now could change everything. As of August 3, 2026, we’re seeing something we haven’t seen before: the Trump administration’s “mega master” immigration court hearings are producing removal orders at a historic rate, while ICE is simultaneously arresting people at airports — including people with pending green card and asylum applications. For immigrant families in West Covina, the San Gabriel Valley, and communities across the country, this isn’t abstract. The risks are real, they’re immediate, and the consequences can be permanent. At Tez Law P.C., we’re here to protect your rights, your case, and your family.

What Is Happening: The 2026 “Mega Master” Hearing Crisis and ICE Airport Crackdown

Two major enforcement developments hit at the same time in July 2026. Together, they’ve created a threat level that immigrant communities haven’t faced before.

Explosive Rise in In Absentia Removal Orders

Here’s what’s driving it. The Trump administration has been packing immigration courtrooms and cutting down the lead time people get before their hearings — all in an effort to clear a backlog that’s been building for decades. The result? People are missing their court dates in record numbers, and when that happens, judges are ordering them deported on the spot.

The mechanism behind this surge has a name: “mega” master hearings. Dozens — sometimes hundreds — of individual cases are being assigned to a single judge in a single day. In June alone, more than 1,300 of these mega master hearings were held nationwide. That’s nearly three times the number from June of the previous year, according to data analyzed by Mobile Pathways. The system isn’t keeping up. And when the system fails, it’s immigrants who pay the price.

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The consequences are staggering. Researchers found an unprecedented number of in absentia removal orders in June — more than 53,000 — a 55% increase from May, which was itself already a record month. By June 2026, approximately 79,000 total deportation orders were issued in a single month, according to Mobile Pathways’ data. The disparity between standard hearings and mega hearings is stark: in San Diego, one judge heard 27 cases on a regular hearing day and issued zero in absentia removal orders — those hearings were scheduled five months in advance — but during a mega master hearing day, the same judge heard 90 cases and issued 51 in absentia removal orders, with hearings scheduled with only 30 days’ notice.

The national rate of cases considered “abandoned” is now nearly five times the historical average dating back to 2009; in New York and Chicago specifically, it is roughly six times higher. Critically, once a deportation order is issued, an immigrant’s asylum claim is almost always considered “abandoned.”

ICE Arrests Now Happening at Domestic Airports — Including LAX

Simultaneously, ICE has launched a sweeping new enforcement initiative at the nation’s airports. The Trump administration has shifted immigration enforcement into the nation’s interior through an ICE and TSA data-sharing pact, with officers deployed to at least 15 major domestic airports to target and arrest individuals flying domestically who have overstayed visas or possess expired documentation, including those with pending applications.

This directly threatens people who believe they are protected by a pending case. ICE has recently targeted individuals who are eligible to remain in the United States during a period of authorized stay but lack valid visa status — such as nonimmigrants with pending extensions or adjustments of status to permanent residency green cards.

“Airports are becoming a new enforcement zone for people who have been living in the U.S. lawfully, holding valid work permits, complying with immigration law, but still in pending status awaiting their green cards. These individuals are technically in a legal gray area, since a pending application does not carry the same protection as an approved one. ICE is exploiting that gray area as an opportunity to arrest and detain them,” according to immigration attorney Berardi.

California has been hit hard. In one week alone, 10 travelers were arrested by ICE at California airports, with enforcement agents — often in plain clothes — taking travelers into custody at domestic departure gates across major U.S. airports, including SFO and LAX. Reports describe non-citizens being questioned or detained at airport check-in counters, boarding gates, and arrival areas, including travelers with pending applications for asylum, adjustment of status, employment authorization documents, or other pending immigration filings.

How This Affects West Covina, San Gabriel Valley, and California Immigrant Families

The San Gabriel Valley — including West Covina and surrounding cities — is home to one of California’s most vibrant and diverse immigrant communities, with large populations of families from Latin America, Southeast Asia, China, and beyond who have cases pending before immigration courts and USCIS. The 2026 enforcement wave puts several specific groups at serious, immediate risk:

• People with pending green card (adjustment of status) applications — even if you have an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and are complying with all requirements, you may be arrested at the airport.
• People with pending asylum applications — the in absentia crisis means that if you miss a hearing due to short notice, your asylum claim can be deemed abandoned instantly.
• People who may have already received an in absentia removal order — shortened notice windows mean thousands did not receive adequate notice of their hearings. You may have a removal order and not know it.
• Visa holders with pending extension applications — a pending extension does not guarantee safe domestic travel under current ICE enforcement posture.
• Any immigrant planning domestic air travel — the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) is advising immigrants with pending green card or asylum applications to consult a lawyer before flying domestically.

In response to the influx of recent courthouse arrests across the region, state Senators Susan Rubio (D-West Covina) and Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-Colton) have introduced bills to protect immigrants at courthouses. While legislative protections are being pursued, federal enforcement continues — and you cannot wait for the law to catch up.

What You Should Do Right Now

The situation is urgent, but there are concrete legal steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. Here is what Tez Law P.C. recommends immediately:

1. Do NOT travel domestically without consulting an immigration attorney first. An immigration attorney advises: “Consult with an attorney, an immigration attorney before traveling domestically, even if you have a pending application or valid work permit based on that pending application.”
2. Check your immigration case status immediately. Log in to the USCIS portal or contact our office to confirm the status of your application, whether a hearing has been scheduled, and whether a removal order may already exist in your case.
3. Verify your court hearing notice dates and addresses. Given mega master hearings are being scheduled with as little as 30 days’ notice, your address on file with the immigration court must be current. To ensure that the immigration court has your current address, file a change of address form (EOIR-33/IC) immediately if you have moved.
4. If you missed a hearing, file a Motion to Reopen immediately. You can file a Motion to Reopen if you did not receive the Notice to Appear giving the date and time of your hearing, or if you did not appear because of exceptional circumstances and you file your Motion to Reopen within 180 days of the scheduled hearing. Critically, once you file a Motion to Reopen, an automatic stay of your deportation remains in effect until the immigration judge issues a decision — meaning you cannot be removed unless the motion is denied.
5. If there was no proper notice, you may have unlimited time. There are no time restrictions for filing the motion to reopen if you did not receive your notice. An in absentia order may be rescinded by the immigration judge upon the filing of a motion to reopen if the respondent did not receive proper notice of the hearing.
6. Gather and carry your immigration documents at all times. Employers and affected individuals should consult with counsel regarding carrying identity and status documents in the current enforcement climate.
7. Contact an immigration attorney today — not next week. The enforcement environment is moving fast, and delay can cost you your case, your status, and your right to remain in the United States.

Why Choose Tez Law P.C. for Your Immigration Case

When the stakes are this high — your home, your family, your future — you need an immigration law firm that combines deep legal knowledge with genuine commitment to immigrant communities. Tez Law P.C., based in West Covina, California, and led by Managing Attorney JJ Zhang (California Bar #326666), provides aggressive, compassionate immigration representation to clients across the entire United States.

Here is why clients across Southern California and nationwide trust Tez Law P.C.:

• Deep Immigration Expertise: From adjustment of status and asylum defense to removal proceedings, Motions to Reopen, and emergency stays of deportation, our team handles the full spectrum of immigration law.
• Rapid Response in Urgent Cases: We understand that an in absentia removal order or an ICE airport arrest requires immediate action. We move fast so that you don’t lose your legal window.
• Local Roots, National Reach: Located in West Covina in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley, Tez Law P.C. serves immigrant families throughout Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire, and across the United States.
• Multilingual, Culturally Sensitive Representation: We proudly serve clients from diverse backgrounds and are committed to ensuring every client fully understands their rights and options.
• Full-Service Legal Support: In addition to our immigration services, Tez Law P.C. also handles personal injury cases and a wide range of civil legal matters, making us a trusted full-service firm for immigrant families navigating complex legal challenges.

Your case deserves focused, strategic, and urgent attention. Schedule your free consultation with Tez Law P.C. today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Act Now — Your Legal Window May Be Closing

The summer of 2026 marks a turning point in U.S. immigration enforcement. With over 50,000 in absentia removal orders issued in a single month, ICE operating at domestic airports including LAX, and enforcement spreading into every corner of daily life for immigrant families, there is no safe moment to delay. Whether you need to reopen a removal order, prepare for an upcoming hearing, protect a pending application, or simply understand your rights before your next flight, Tez Law P.C. is ready to help — right now. Contact us today for a free consultation and let our experienced immigration attorneys stand between you and the most aggressive federal enforcement in a generation.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Contact Tez Law P.C. at 626-678-8677 or [email protected] for advice specific to your situation. Results may vary.