McAllen, Texas (Border Report) – The recent firing of a US immigration judge adds to a delay in the already overwhelming immigration system, lawyers told the Border Report.
The Department of Justice fires 20 immigrant judges from reviewed courts amid major government cuts
According to the Access Clearinghouse of Transaction Records, there have been more than 3.7 million postponed immigration cases, and immigration lawyers say the removal of these judges comes when the system is suffering from most cases in history. I say it.
“There’s a master hearing, the first hearing. William Brooks, an immigration lawyer in Houston, told the Border Report Monday. “So, how things stand, the last thing you want to do is the judges. It’s about eliminating the
According to the Associated Press, 13 immigrant judges who have not yet been sworn in were notified with five assistant immigrant judges (EOIR) who were denied Friday.
Cuts will occur as the new Trump administration reviews the government and evaluates office efficiency.
There are approximately 735 immigrant judges nationwide. This is about 6,000 immigration cases per judge.
Over the past decade, Congress has allocated more money to hire more immigration judges – up to 100 people a year – but many positions are not fulfilled despite record caseloads . The House of Representatives’ Homeland Security Budget Committee told the Border Report.
(Graphic by the executive office for immigration examination)
Brooks has been practicing immigration law since 2016 and he says he has never seen the incident.
“If you look at it from a mathematical perspective, it’s insane. It takes years to distribute the current case. It’s submitted by DHS. “So, in my opinion, you want to do it That’s because it only increases the backlog.”
“If the Trump administration wants to expel many people, I don’t know why they’re firing these judges,” said Claudia Garan, an immigration lawyer for the San Antonio and Edinburg, Texas offices. . “This just causes a bigger backlog.”
Garan told clients who have been arrested since Trump took office on January 20th, in a border report, saying she is aware of more immigration and customs enforcement in detention facilities and court hearings No bonds issued for release while waiting for the bonds have been issued.
Garan says he also noticed changes to the administrative procedures in which more legal claims have been filed and fewer in-person litigation has been carried out.
She says that could be a disadvantage for clients. Because it means that immigration judges and prosecutors will have fewer courtroom face-to-face meetings and her advocate choices will speak to others and defend her attempts to judge the terms.
“There’s no open environment,” she said. “It’s like a wall that’s being enforced in every court.”
She says various immigration courts in different jurisdictions are filing their own methods of lawsuits.
An April 2023 report by the US Government’s Accountability Office criticized the management of immigration cases, for contributing to a record-breaking backlog of litigation. This came after a similar report by GAO in 2017.
“EOIR has not yet developed a strategic workforce plan or set targets for workforce planning. In 2017, GAO has concluded that EOIR has a strategic workforce that addresses key principles of workforce planning. We have recommended that the plan be developed and implemented. Gaps and monitoring progress – to better position EOIR to meet current and future staffing needs,” the 2023 GAO report found. “EOIR does not have a governance structure (consisting of assigned and documented roles and responsibilities) to guide workforce planning efforts and protect leadership on employee goal progress.”
In March, EOIR released strategic management of human capital and workforce planning. This includes the governance structure of workforce planning. According to a report by GAO, EOIR has also set up a performance assessment program for immigration judges, aides and appealed immigration judges.
(TRAC graphics)
In 2024, the Immigration Court completed 914,812 cases. This is the closest in one fiscal year on record, TRAC reports. This is 36% higher than the previous high of 674,848 closed in 2023.
Still, the backlog continues to grow.
At the end of December, TRAC, the final data available, has been pending cases of 3.7 million people, and of the 1.7 million immigrants, they have filed an asylum application and awaited an asylum hearing or decision. I report that it is.
Most of the pending cases were in Miami, TRAC reports.
Most of the judges fired were in northern states, including Chicago and Pennsylvania, Garan said there was nothing in Texas.
Sandra Sanchez can visit ssanchez@borderreport.com.
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