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The time it takes to complete a case increased from 430 days in 2009 to almost 600 days in 2015, according to data cruncher Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.
And the situation may get critical very fast, as almost half of the judges are eligible for retirement this year, according to Judge Dana Leigh Marks, president of the National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ).
“We have definitely heard from many of our colleagues that the deterioration in working conditions and increased pressures have made them choose to retire at their earliest possible opportunity, a change from their plans before things got this bad,” stated Leigh Marks in an email response.
“The number of immigration judges in the country needs to be probably tripled, at least doubled.”she said.
The Senate has tried to double up in 2013 but the House stopped the bill. The Justice Department requested 55 more judges for the next year but with Congress still stuck along its party lines it is unclear if Leigh Marks’s plea will be heard.
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