A record number of immigration cases have been closed in the first 11 months of the current U.S. government fiscal year. The 375,000 cases processed used the Biden administration court policies to achieve this result, per the Syracuse University Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (Trac) site.

The increase in the number of immigration judges and the resumption of previously used case management tools are noted as resources. Per TRAC, the Biden administration updated policies to give greater authority to immigration courts, basically supporting a faster processing period for these cases to address the backlog of 1.9 million cases and work toward reducing it.

The number of cases overall has risen since the Bush administration. Subsequent administrations saw a continued increase in cases and the backlog continued to grow. While the full impact of Biden’s policies has yet to be seen, TRAC states an estimated 50% increase in the number of immigration cases closed in FY2022, to date, compared to FY2019, the previous case closure record year. If the current rate of case closure continues, it’s estimated that over 400,000 cases will be closed by the end of FY2022, or September 30, 2022.

Currently, there are 559 immigration judges. In FY2019, there were 442 judges. The sheer number of judges and their ability to end cases based on their expertise, combined, drive the recent success rate. Some 50,000 cases were tossed due to issues with the U.S. government failing to file a notice to appear to begin the removal process for some immigrants.

However, the growth of cases in immigration courts exceeds what the judges can hear, even at a faster rate. Even though a record number of cases are estimated to be closed by the end of the current fiscal year, the backlog remains.

If you have questions about your immigration-related issue, contact us. We work with our clients every step of the way.