Immigration Court Backlog
As of 2026-02-01, 1,907,436 cases are pending before U.S. immigration courts. A total of 9,665,247 cases have been filed, with 7,757,811 completed.
Cases Filed vs Completed Over Time
When filed cases exceed completed cases, the backlog grows. This chart shows the annual gap.
Year-by-Year Filing Trends (2010–2025)
| Year | Filed | Completed | Net Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 28,144 | 293,778 | -265,634 |
| 2011 | 31,358 | 311,691 | -280,333 |
| 2012 | 43,772 | 290,352 | -246,580 |
| 2013 | 60,870 | 280,651 | -219,781 |
| 2014 | 82,006 | 301,380 | -219,374 |
| 2015 | 97,549 | 288,276 | -190,727 |
| 2016 | 117,380 | 321,108 | -203,728 |
| 2017 | 140,945 | 321,105 | -180,160 |
| 2018 | 167,248 | 366,271 | -199,023 |
| 2019 | 208,814 | 487,594 | -278,780 |
| 2020 | 148,010 | 247,402 | -99,392 |
| 2021 | 142,311 | 298,400 | -156,089 |
| 2022 | 286,589 | 674,953 | -388,364 |
| 2023 | 424,994 | 965,176 | -540,182 |
| 2024 | 508,217 | 1,290,672 | -782,455 |
| 2025 | 421,619 | 1,298,639 | -877,020 |
Busiest Immigration Courts
Key Context
- → 9,665,247 total cases have been filed since records began
- → 2,162,444 people received in absentia removal orders (didn't appear)
- → 1,409 judges across 88 courts handle the entire caseload
- → Only 26.7% of those ordered deported had legal representation
Why This Data Matters
The immigration court backlog is the central crisis of the U.S. immigration system. With nearly 2 million cases pending, people wait years — sometimes over five years — for a hearing that will determine whether they can stay in the country or face deportation. During that wait, families live in legal limbo: unable to fully work, plan for the future, or know whether the life they're building will be allowed to continue.
The backlog didn't appear overnight. It's the result of decades of underfunding, chronic understaffing of immigration judges, and policy whiplash between administrations. Each new president reshuffles enforcement priorities, often restarting cases or changing who gets prosecuted. Meanwhile, the number of judges has never come close to matching the volume of new filings. The result is a system where justice delayed has become justice denied — for both those seeking protection and the government seeking to enforce the law.
Understanding the backlog is essential to understanding every other immigration statistic on this site. Wait times, asylum grant rates, deportation orders, in absentia rulings — all of them are shaped by a court system that is processing cases at a fraction of the speed they arrive. Any serious immigration reform, regardless of political orientation, must grapple with this structural crisis.
📈 Full Backlog Analysis
Deep dive into how the backlog grew and what drives it.
🚪 In Absentia Orders
2,162,444 cases decided without the immigrant present.
🏛️ All Courts
Explore all 88 courts with grant rates and case volumes.
Source: Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). Data current through February 2026. Learn more →