According to recent statistics released by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), the backlog of immigration court cases continues to grow. At the end of March, 242,776 cases were awaiting resolution through the immigration court system. This number is a new all-time high. The current backlog of 242,776 cases is 6.3% higher than the backlog from December 2009 and was 30.4% higher than the number of cases from 18 months before the report was published.
Along with the increase in the number of cases waiting for resolution, there has also been an increase in the average waiting time. The current waiting time for cases pending resolution is 443 days. The state with the longest average waiting time was California, with a waiting time of 627 days. Waiting times also varied by nationality. Armenians were noted as having the longest average wait times of 938 days. Other nationalities that faced significant average waiting times include nationals from: Indonesia – 731 days, Lebanon – 688 days, Albania – 830 and Iran – 594 days.
What is causing the increased backlog? The TRAC report noted that there has been a decrease in the number of new proceedings filed in immigration courts. During the first six months of 2010 there were 156,403 new proceedings. This was 2% lower than the same six month period in 2009, during which 159,358 new proceedings were filed. Although the overall number of new proceedings may be decreasing, changes in enforcement strategies in certain parts of the country may cause a localized increase in case backlogs. In addition, the report noted that the backlog increase was likely partly the result of new requirements imposed by Court of Appeals and Supreme Court decisions which make cases more time consuming to resolve. Another factor that likely has contributed to the increase in the case backlog is the number of immigration judges has decreased by two judges over the period covered by the report.
What does the immigration court case backlog mean to you?
If you are currently in removal or deportation proceedings, the case backlog means that you may have a considerable wait before the final resolution of your case. Unfortunately, this means that you will face uncertainty in your immigration status for months if not years. One way to ensure that your case is resolved as quickly as possible is to hire an immigration lawyer to represent you in immigration court. An immigration lawyer can help avoid delays in your case by preparing court motions and briefs in a timely fashion, thus avoiding the need to continue your hearing to another date. If you would like to speak to an immigration lawyer about your case, please contact the Schaefer Law Firm or call (202) 642-4529.
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[...] in the backlog are from Mexico, 9 percent are from China, and Armenians have the longest wait time (938 days, on average). They and their families are all just waiting to hear whether they must stay or go. [...]
[...] in the backlog are from Mexico, 9 percent are from China, and Armenians have the longest wait time (938 days, on average). They and their families are all just waiting to hear whether they must stay or go. [...]