Backlogged Immigration Matters Climb, Details by Court Location and Nationality

Pending cases backlogged in the nation’s Immigration Courts reached an all time high of 228,421 matters in the first months of FY 2010, according to an analysis of very timely court data by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC). The case backlog was up 23% since the end of FY 2008 and 82% from ten years ago. The average length of time cases had been pending increased to 439 days.

Key to the growing backlogs and wait times is the failure of both the Bush and Obama administrations to fill the judge vacancies on the Immigration Courts which numbered 48 as of January 12, 2010. The number of vacancies means that one out of six of the judge positions — 17% of the total — are now unfilled. TRAC’s latest report on the Immigration Courts can be viewed here.

Released with this special report is TRAC’s Immigration Court Caseload Tool that for the first time ever gives anyone a way to obtain case backlogs and waiting times in each state, court, and hearing location. This information is also available by nationality.

KJ