During FY 2024, the Court reported nearly 1.8 million new cases, up from a previous high of 1.4 million new cases in FY 2023. However, recent trends show new cases continue to fall sharply. In September, new Court cases were less than a third of levels earlier in the year.

Courts closed more than 900,000 immigration cases, the most in a single fiscal year and greater by more than 235,000 than the number in FY 2023.

Even with greater adjudication totals, Immigration Courts have seen the backlog of cases increase substantially. The 3.7 million individuals with cases still pending to be decided are nearly double the 1.9 million cases in the Court’s backlog at the end of FY 2022.

The odds for those in the backlog to find attorneys to represent them continued to fall. Now just 31 percent of individuals in the current backlog were represented.

A total of 314,773 individuals were ordered removed in FY 2024, a record number in a single fiscal year. When combined with voluntary departures, a total of 323,661 received deportation orders or agreed to leave the country— 38 percent of all completed cases.

Other highlights from the September 2024 data, found in TRAC's updated Immigration Court Quick Facts tool, show:

• 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.

TRAC’s Immigration Quick Facts provides the latest data on immigrant detention, immigration court cases, and immigration prosecutions in federal court. Each page includes several key data points alongside a graphic or table, a short description for context, and a link to more data. Click here to see more about TRAC's entire suite of immigration tools.