San Diego – Advocacy groups have raised alarms over a surge of “hidden tribunals” where immigration cases are being heard in makeshift settings far from traditional courtrooms. The Department of Justice’s recent expansion of satellite immigration courts into undisclosed venues—ranging from vacant school gyms to repurposed warehouses—has left many detainees without access to legal counsel or proper translation services. A recent audit by the American Immigration Lawyers Association found that 27 percent of cases processed in these locations lacked recorded transcripts, violating the due‑process guarantees enshrined in the Constitution. Lawmakers are calling for immediate transparency measures and a halt to the use of ad‑hoc venues until adequate procedural safeguards can be ensured.
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