In recent years, the United States has experienced a significant surge in immigration cases inundating the federal courts.
The number of cases pending befor the federal immigration judges totaled nearly 1.8 million, a record, in fiscal 2024. This is according to analysis by Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a nonpartisan, independent research organization.
This unprecedented rise has put a considerable strain on an already burdened judicial system.
As individuals seek refuge or aspire to better opportunities within US borders, the number of immigration-related legal battles has skyrocketed.
From deportation appeals to asylum claims, the sheer volume of cases has overwhelmed the federal courts, leading to significant delays and backlogs
In 2024, the immigration courts with the greatest number of pending deportation cases were in Florida, California, New York and Illinois.
Greatest number of illegal foreign nationals ordered to be deported were from Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Colombia with a total of about 208,000, according to the data.
Below is highlights from the September 2024 data by trac.syr.edu
- Backlog: At the end of September, 3,716,106 active cases were pending before the Immigration Court. Of these, 1,594,394 immigrants have already filed formal asylum applications and are now waiting for asylum hearings or decisions in Immigration Court.
- Miami-Dade County, FL, has the most residents with pending Immigration Court deportation cases (as of the end of September 2024).
- Immigration Courts recorded receiving 1,798,964 new cases so far in FY 2024 as of September 2024. This compares with 911,289 cases that the court completed during this period.
- According to court records, only 0.47% of FY 2024 new cases sought deportation orders based on any alleged criminal activity of the immigrant, apart from possible illegal entry.
- So far this fiscal year (through September 2024), immigration judges have issued removal and voluntary departure orders in 38.3% of completed cases, totaling 323,661 deportation orders.
- Out of 66,582 Immigration Court deportation cases completed in September 2024, immigration judges issued 29,666 removal orders and gave voluntary departure to an additional 806 immigrants, meaning that deportation was ordered in 45.8 percent of all cases.
- Out of 3,052 Immigration Court cases in which some form of relief was granted in September 2024, asylum was granted for 2,139 immigrants (70.1%) following their merit hearings.
- Among Immigration Court cases completed in September 2024, immigrants in Idaho had the highest proportion ordered removed. Maine residents had the lowest proportion ordered removed.
- So far in FY 2024 (through September 2024), immigrants from Honduras top list of nationalities with largest number ordered deported.
- Only 15.0% of immigrants, including unaccompanied children, had an attorney to assist them in Immigration Court cases when a removal order was issued in September 2024.
- Immigration judges have held 26,774 bond hearings so far in FY 2024 (through September 2024). Of these 8,186 were granted bond.
By Diaspora Messenger reporter
