11-year-old endures nine-hour virtual wait before brief immigration hearing

José, an 11-year-old migrant, arrived at an activist’s home early in July and was guided to log into a virtual immigration hearing that day. He remained visible on the screen for nine hours, sharing the wait with dozens of other children, some unaccompanied, as the court conducted a mass preliminary hearing—a practice the Trump administration began using in May 2026. The activist provided food and a pillow when José showed signs of exhaustion.

His portion of the hearing began at 4 p.m., lasted 15 minutes, and resulted in the judge explaining the process, noting the absence of counsel, and giving him additional days to secure legal representation. The National Immigrant Justice Center has observed similar large-scale hearings in Chicago and Indianapolis, where many minors lack lawyers. Recent federal funding cuts to pro-bono organizations have left thousands of children without guaranteed legal aid, raising concerns about due-process violations and potential deportations.