U.S. Immigration Courts Facing Staffing Crisis: Fewer Judges, Mounting Backlogs
The U.S. immigration court system is struggling with a quarter fewer judges than a year ago, contributing to depleted staff morale and floundering due process.
The U.S. immigration court system is facing a staffing crisis, with a quarter fewer immigration judges in place now compared to a year ago. This drain of personnel has contributed to mounting case backlogs and a floundering of due process within the already strained system.
According to data from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the agency that oversees the nation's immigration courts, there are currently around 400 immigration judges nationwide, down from approximately 520 a year ago. This reduction in staffing has exacerbated the long-standing issues plaguing the immigration court system, including massive case backlogs and growing delays in hearings and decisions.
Source: NPR
