Nearly two dozen Somali asylum-seekers appeared at Chicago’s immigration court on Tuesday after their initial hearings were unexpectedly rescheduled to mid-February. Many had previously been told their court dates would not occur until as late as 2028, but the new schedule moved up proceedings by several years.
Attorneys and advocates expressed concern that this accelerated timeline leaves little time for asylum-seekers to prepare their cases or gather necessary evidence from Somalia. Stephanie Spiro, associate director of protection-based relief for the National Immigrant Justice Center, said, “We’re seeing the specific targeting of the Somali population: placing people from the same nationality on a certain date, approaching their case in a certain way and making them go to court [to] have their final hearing faster than anybody else.”
The expedited scheduling follows similar moves in Illinois, Nebraska, and Minnesota. According to NPR, these changes are part of a broader effort by federal authorities to fast-track immigration cases involving Somali nationals.
Rep. Delia Ramirez attended Tuesday’s proceedings as an observer. She stated that the Trump administration is specifically targeting Somali asylum-seekers as part of its political agenda. “Now you’re seeing the same political charge specifically to” Somalis, she said.
Recent enforcement actions include Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, which followed public criticism of Minnesota’s Somali community by President Donald Trump and reports of fraud schemes involving members of that community.
During Tuesday’s hearings overseen by Judge Craig Defoe—appointed acting assistant chief immigration judge for Chicago in January—requests from attorneys for more preparation time were largely denied. Defoe allowed only additional weeks rather than months or years for case preparation.
“I think it really speaks to just how cruel the policy has become, because it’s the policy of whatever Donald Trump wants, not one that is based on a fair justice system,” Ramirez said.
Advocates fear that Department of Homeland Security attorneys may seek to pretermit cases—a process that can result in termination without a full hearing and possible deportation to third countries where individuals could still face danger. Emily Wheeler with the Sanctuary Working Group noted concerns about Somalis being sent to Uganda despite safety risks there: “A lot of Somalis will tell you that they are not safe in Uganda and would not be safe to be removed to that country,” she said.
A Department of Justice spokesperson denied claims that cases are being fast-tracked and stated that since Trump took office, efforts have reduced the backlog by 350,000 cases while maintaining fairness and due process.
Advocates also raised concerns about potential detentions outside courtrooms—a tactic reportedly used more frequently during Trump’s second term—but no such incidents occurred Tuesday. Legal experts argue that compressed timelines threaten asylum-seekers’ rights and increase trauma by forcing them to recount persecution under tight deadlines.
Additionally, changes announced by the Department of Justice will reduce appeal windows from 30 days to 10 starting March 9—before many Somali applicants return for further hearings—which could limit opportunities for legal recourse if petitions are denied.
“We’re afraid of detention in this period because we’ve seen the indiscriminate use of detention to intimidate people into leaving the country even if leaving means risk of torture or death,” Spiro said.
