 |
|
A backlog of immigration cases is pending at 632,261 as of Aug. 31, an all-time high across the U.S., with an average wait of nearly two years — 681 days — to get a court date. Depending on the defendant’s country, the wait could be up to six years, according to the data collection nonprofit Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC).
The judges in 57 jurisdictions primarily hear removal proceedings and decide if an immigrant can be legally granted relief from deportation, such as asylum or an adjustment of status.
With the removal of deportation priorities and a lack of widening legal pathways to various visas, this problem is expected to worsen.
A Tulsa World analysis found the number of detainers placed on immigrants by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement doubled within a year. And about two-thirds of those were brought in on misdemeanor complaints.
|
|
|
|
