The immigration attorney Liudmila Marcelo issued an urgent alert during a live broadcast alongside journalist Tania Costa: the immigration courts that were scheduled for 2030 are being moved up massively to September and November 2026, with notifications in some cases not reaching the affected individuals on time.
"To the people who had court dates perhaps in 2030, they were bringing those dates forward to this same year, and people thought they would have time to hire lawyers. Right now, they are being given court dates for within a month, for next month, and people are desperate, looking for a lawyer, seeking representation," Marcelo warned.
The lawyer described specific cases that illustrate the magnitude of the problem. "Another client of mine woke up this morning. I haven't received the judge's notification yet, but it's already showing in the system: she had her final court date set for 2030, and now it's scheduled for September of this year," she reported.
In another case, a person received a notice on a Thursday to appear the following Wednesday, which forced Marcelo to travel to Orlando in person to request a continuance because he did not receive a written response.
Judge Ayze from Miami himself—who does not allow video appearances—offered Marcelo September 2026 as the first available date, followed by November 2026, whereas previously his final hearings were scheduled for 2028 or 2029.
Marcelo believes that behind this phenomenon "there are several new judges here in Miami, and since these new judges have a flexible schedule because they don't have many cases, they are not burdened with previous cases. The judges who had heavier schedules are passing these cases to the new judges, and these judges are scheduling hearings as soon as September."
This context aligns with the EOIR announcement on May 20 regarding the addition of 77 new immigration judges and five temporary judges, marking the largest class in the agency's history, bringing the total to nearly 700 judges.
For Cubans with I-220A, the situation is especially critical. Many were counting on time for the BIA to make favorable decisions or to gather more evidence regarding the conditions in Cuba. In February, a court in Atlanta annulled BIA decisions in cases of Cuban individuals with I-220A and returned files for further review, adding more uncertainty.
"September is already here. When you thought your court date was in 2030, you were at ease, believing there was time for the BIA to decide that the I-220 would be considered parole, thinking you could gather more evidence, articles, and conditions from the country, and now, suddenly, September is just around the corner," Marcelo pointed out.
This sense of urgency is also being exploited by scammers. The attorney warned about the rise in immigration scams since January 2025, when fear and the rush to regularize immigration status lead people to fall for tricks from those who clone accounts of real lawyers on social media.
In light of all this, Marcelo issued a concrete and urgent piece of advice. "Every day I tell the person, at least twice a week or every day, check your case in the EOIR Immigration Court system, because the courts are moving forward and often notifications are not arriving on time."
The lawyer was particularly emphatic with those who do not have legal representation: "If you do not have a lawyer, and if you receive a court notification for a court appearance next week, it may not reach you in time."
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