A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said the mass hearings are meant to help ease a massive backlog in the immigration courts. And a spokesperson for the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which runs the nation's immigration court system, said the tactic also helps prevent unnecessary delays. Immigration attorneys and advocates say the hearings shortchange immigrants who too often fail to receive notice that they have been summoned to court. Here’s what else to know about the “mega master” hearings. How do mega master hearings differ from regular hearings?