Trump’s ‘Deportation Machine’ Keeps Growing Despite Pandemic

As President Donald Trump prepares to pause immigration into the U.S., the court system that handles the removal of immigrants is projected to issue nearly 60% more deportation orders than last year.

With the rest of the U.S. legal system grinding to a near halt amid the pandemic, cleaning crews clad in hazmat suits are regularly deployed to make sure in-person removal hearings can continue. The 69 U.S. immigration courts are moving at speed to reduce a massive backlog of cases despite outdated technology and criticism from advocacy groups and a union representing most of the nation’s 460 immigration judges, ...