A Master Calendar Hearing is the first of several courtroom proceedings that an immigrant must attend when the U.S. is attempting to remove them from the country. The immigration law judge, a prosecuting attorney representing the government, and the immigrant and their lawyer all participate in this hearing.
At a minimum, the judge will inform the immigrant of their rights and the removal charges that have been filed, set a schedule for the next hearing, and describe what they must do before that hearing. Judges at these hearings primarily explain existing charges and establish rules and guidelines for subsequent hearings.