Backlog of immigration cases surges past 3 million — 4,500 cases per judge

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

MORE THAN THREE MILLION. 

THAT’S HOW MANY CASES ARE BACKLOGGED IN THE U-S IMMIGRATION COURTS.

MEANING MIGRANTS SEEKING ASYLUM IN THE U-S COULD BE WAITING YEARS BEFORE THEIR CASES CAN BE HEARD.

THAT’S UP MORE THAN A MILLION CASES IN JUST 12 MONTHS – ACCORDING TO SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY’S TRANSACTION RECORDS ACCESS CLEARINGHOUSE – WHICH COMPILES FEDERAL IMMIGRATION DATA.

TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE –

IN SEPTEMBER 2016 – TOWARDS THE END OF PRESIDENT OBAMA’S ADMINISTRATION – THE BACKLOG WAS JUST OVER 516-THOUSAND CASES.

BY NOVEMBER OF 2023 – THE BACKLOG WAS AT MORE THAN 3-MILLION 75-THOUSAND CASES.

JUDGES ARE BOGGED DOWN.

EACH JUDGE NOW AVERAGES 45-HUNDRED IMMIGRATION CASES.

“TRAC” PROJECTS AN ADDITIONAL 425-THOUSAND CASES WILL BE ADDED TO JUDGE’S PLATES IN DECEMBER ALONE.

THE WHITE HOUSE IS ATTEMPTING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE – WHILE AT THE SAME TIME – NOT CLOSING THE US SOUTHERN BORDER.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS HIRED 300 IMMIGRATION JUDGES – AND IS SEEKING TO HIRE 375 ADDITIONAL IMMIGRATION JUDGE TEAMS IN FISCAL YEAR 2024.

HOWEVER – THAT NUMBER MAY NOT BE ENOUGH.

ACCORDING TO U-S CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION NUMBERS – AN AVERAGE OF 8-THOUSAND MIGRANTS ENTER THE UNITED STATES ILLEGALLY EACH DAY.

AND THAT NUMBER CONTINUES TO RISE.

IN FISCAL YEAR 2022 – A RECORD AS C-B-P RECORDED 2.2 MILLION MIGRANT APPREHENSIONS.

AND THEN IN FISCAL YEAR 2023 – THAT RECORD BROKEN BY ANOTHER AS CBP RECORDED 2.4 MILLION MIGRANT APPREHENSIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023.

WHEN MIGRANTS REACH THE U-S SOUTHERN BORDER –

ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS SAY THEY’RE SEEKING ASYLUM FROM WHICHEVER COUNTRY THEY’RE FROM – MEANING THEY FEAR THEY’LL BE PERSECUTED ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR “RACE, RELIGION, NATIONALITY, MEMBERSHIP IN A PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUP, OR POLITICAL OPINION.”

REPUBLICAN SENATOR JOHN CORNYN OF TEXAS ADDRESSED HOW CARTELS ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE U-S’ ASYLUM RULES AT A HEARING IN OCTOBER.

[SEN. JOHN CORNYN / R-TEXAS]

“senator kelly, senator from arizona was there and noted that mexicali is a city in northern mexico with an airport. and so, it was explained to us what likely was happening is that human smugglers were facilitating the travel of migrants to mexicali where they could simply uber over to the border patrol and claim asylum. and the biden administration would make sure they’re successfully deposited into the united states of america, perhaps on their way to an asylum hearing that may never occur.”

 [LAUREN TAYLOR]

TRAC REPORTS – IN SOME STATES – ASYLUM SEEKERS WAIT YEARS FOR THEIR CASES TO BE HEARD… SUCH AS IN VIRGINIA WHICH HAS HIGHEST AVERAGE WAIT TIME FOR JUDGES TO HEAR MIGRANTS’ ASYLUM CASES – AT JUST OVER 3 YEARS.

MEANWHILE – CONGRESS RECESSED FOR THE HOLIDAY RECESS – BEFORE LAWMAKERS COULD REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH THE WHITE HOUSE – ON A NEW UKRAINE AID PACKAGE – WHICH WOULD HAVE INCLUDED MORE FUNDING FOR BORDER SECURITY AND TIGHTENED ASYLUM RESTRICTIONS AT POINTS OF ENTRY INTO THE U-S.

THE SENATE IS EXPECTED BACK TO CAPITOL HILL FOR THE NEW SESSION UNTIL JANUARY 8TH..

AND THE HOUSE – JANUARY 9TH.