Immigration Court Backlog Hits 3 Million; Migrants Given Court Dates Years Away
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The U.S. immigration court system now has a backlog of over 3 million cases, as migrants continue to arrive in record numbers and authorities struggle to keep up with the influx.
The Details: Data from the TracImmigration project at Syracuse University shows the backlog of cases has surpassed 3 million, with each judge in the system being assigned roughly 4,500 cases. When unauthorized immigrants are processed, they receive a court date to appear for the next step in their case before being released. Amid the backlog, many of those dates are several years away.
For Context: The backlog was around 2 million at this time last year and hit 1 million for the first time in Sept. 2019. On average, between 50,000 and 100,000 cases were added to the backlog each quarter from 2016 to 2021. Nearly 400,000 cases were added in the third quarter of 2023, and the Q4 total is expected to be near 450,000.
How the Media Covered it: Center- and right-rated sources blamed a lack of resources, including border agents and judges, for the backlog overflow. As of this writing, no left-rated outlets have mentioned the record-high court backlog.
Why the Difference? Media on the right and in the center are generally more concerned about illegal immigration than media on the left are, and they're quicker to highlight how the system has become more strained under the Biden administration.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
US immigration backlog reaches new record of 3 million pending cases: report
The Immigration Court backlog in the U.S. surpassed three million pending cases last month amid a continued crisis at the Southern Border.
The three million pending cases reported in November include one million that were added within the previous 12 months, according to a report from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.
Immigration judges currently average 4,500 pending cases each, TRAC reported.
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Migrants are being released on U.S. streets at the border as shelters see record numbers
U.S. border facilities have a record number of migrants in custody as border agents try to release migrants as fast as possible to avoid overcrowding and local nonprofit groups scramble to keep up with the need, according to three Department of Homeland Security officials.
Many migrants in Arizona's Tucson sector, one of the busiest, are being released directly onto the streets, according to two DHS officials.
The officials said the migrants are dropped off in coordination with the city officials and local nonprofits who help them get transportation to their final destinations.
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Immigration court backlog tops 3M with some getting dates 5 years out
As the U.S. continues to deal with record numbers of migrants and asylum-seekers crossing the southern border, the border crisis is made worse by a backlogged and slow immigration court system.
Immigration courts are tasked with processing asylum claims and removal proceedings for those who entered the country without going through legal channels. The right to ask for asylum applies regardless of whether someone enters the U.S. through a port of entry or crosses illegally, but all asylum cases still have to go through the court system.
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