by Stephanie EsquivelThu, May 29, 2025 at 9:37 PMUpdated Fri, May 30, 2025 at 3:32 PMAccording to San Antonio immigration attorneys, the ICE arrests at immigration courthouses, will lead to thousands more deportations because people will be afraid to show up for their court dates. (SBG San Antonio)According to San Antonio immigration attorneys, the ICE arrests at immigration courthouses, will lead to thousands more deportations because people will be afraid to show up for their court dates.In January, we told you of new orders under the Trump administration that allow ICE to detain people at immigration courthouses for deportation, which was previously not allowed.Now we’re starting to see it happen right here in San Antonio and immigration attorneys tell us a lot of people going through the immigration process, are now afraid to show up to their court dates.Not showing up for those court dates, can also get them deported.“Well, if I show up, I'm going to be detained. If I don't show up, I'm going to be deemed to be deportable,” said Jeff Addicott, a law professor at St. Mary’s University.While completely legal, Professor Addicott said the recent arrests at the immigration courthouses in San Antonio could scare people from trying to pursue legal status.“ICE was not moving to dismiss because they were not interested in deporting my client anymore, but because they wanted to deport him faster,” said Marlyn Moreno, an immigration attorney.Right now, people can’t be deported if they’re already going through the deportation process with a judge. A final verdict needs to be reached before ICE can detain them.That’s why Moreno said ICE is dropping deportation cases altogether to speed up the process.“They’re moving to dismiss, and ICE is outside the courtroom, in plain clothes, detaining them. So, the whole scheme is to get these people out of deportation proceedings in front of the judge so they can be deported right away,” said Moreno.Addicott said, in the past, judges issued removal orders but many times, those people went into hiding and were never actually deported.This tactic, according to Addicott, could be the Trump administration’s effort to make sure that doesn’t happen anymore.“They're simply setting up camps around the immigration judge, so when these individuals are deemed you know that their claim is dismissed. Well, they're deportable right there at that moment,” said Addicott.