Master Calendar Hearing Immigration Lawyer
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY LAURA LEON
Receiving a Notice to Appear (NTA) in immigration court can be frightening, especially if you’ve never run into immigration issues before. An NTA is the charging document DHS uses to begin removal proceedings once it is filed with the immigration court. A master calendar hearing is often an early step in removal proceedings. While this is a preliminary hearing and, usually, not where final decisions are made, how you handle this hearing matters.
You should reach out to our immigration lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your options and ways forward. Schedule a consultation with Laura Leon Law, PLLC, today.
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What Is a Master Hearing in Immigration Court?
A master calendar hearing is a fairly short, preliminary hearing that occurs before an immigration judge. This isn’t when witnesses testify and the judge decides the full merits of an application. The master hearing determines how the removal case will proceed.
What Happens at a Master Hearing in Immigration Court?
At a master hearing in immigration court, the immigration judge will confirm your name, address, language, and whether you have legal representation.
During this hearing, the judge may advise the respondent of their rights and take pleadings on the Notice to Appear. Pleadings involve responding to the allegations against you and conceding or contesting the legal charges of removability.
The judge may also identify possible applications for relief, establish filing deadlines, and schedule another master hearing or an individual calendar hearing.
Responding to the Notice to Appear
The Notice to Appear lists the allegations about you and the legal grounds that DHS is using to claim that you are removable. Before you enter pleadings, you should review each allegation and charge. They may involve your citizenship, date of entry, immigration status, or conduct after entering the United States. Even if an allegation appears mostly correct, slight inaccuracies can affect your legal case. You don’t want to concede removability without looking into defenses that may weaken the case against you.
An immigration lawyer can compare your Notice to Appear to your immigration history and advise you on how to respond.
How to Prepare for Your Master Hearing in Immigration Court
To start, review your hearing notice, paying particular attention to the date, time, court location, and method of appearance. Depending on how the court schedules your hearing, you may appear in person, by video conference, or by telephone. Follow the appearance instructions issued by the court. Gather copies of your immigration documents, identification, prior applications, criminal court records, and all notices you have received.
We recommend arriving early. Arriving late may result in the hearing proceeding without you and could lead to an in absentia removal order, which is issued when you don’t appear for your hearing.
If your address or contact information changes, notify the immigration court within five working days using Form EOIR-33/IC or the available online process.
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Possible Forms of Relief from Removal
Depending on the details of your case, potential forms of relief from removal that may be available to you include:
- Asylum
- Withholding of removal
- Protection under the Convention Against Torture
- Cancellation of removal
- Adjustment of status
- Immigration waiver
- Voluntary departure
Eligibility for relief may depend on a wide range of factors, including your manner and date of entry, family relationships, length of residence in the United States, whether you have reason to fear returning home, criminal and immigration history, and whether your removal would cause hardship for permanent resident or U.S. citizen relatives. These cases are very fact-specific, and an immigration attorney can help you evaluate which options may fit your case.
Can You Be Deported at a Master Calendar Hearing?
A removal order can be entered at a master calendar hearing in some circumstances. Failing to appear puts you at risk of facing a removal order, as does conceding removability without seeking relief from removal.
Master Calendar Hearing vs. Individual Hearing
The master calendar hearing is generally focused on pleadings, scheduling, applications, and procedural matters. Individual calendar hearings are where you’ll see trial-like proceedings. At these hearings, you may testify, call witnesses, and present legal arguments.
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Talk to a Master Calendar Hearing Lawyer
Before your master hearing, Laura Leon Law can help you respond to allegations, identify defenses, and evaluate possible forms of relief. Working with a lawyer can help you know what to expect, respond appropriately to allegations and charges, and avoid making damaging statements during your hearings.
At Laura Leon Law, PLLC, we help clients prepare for master calendar hearings and other stages of removal proceedings. Contact us to schedule a consultation and discuss your upcoming master calendar hearing.
