Staff Reports
The southern border of the United States grapples with an unprecedented surge in migrant numbers during the Biden administration, escalating into a pressing crisis. Startling figures from the TRAC report illuminate the severity: a staggering 2.5 million individuals were apprehended crossing the border illegally in fiscal year 2023, surpassing any previous records. Additionally, an estimated 670,000 migrants successfully evaded capture, intensifying strain on an already overloaded immigration system.
Immigration court backlog surpasses record-breaking 3M pending cases: report https://t.co/Cd3M23AFHl #news
— 15 Minute News (@15MinuteNews) December 28, 2023
During President Trump's tenure, the immigration case backlog peaked at 1.2 million in December 2020, increasing by an average of 47,000 cases monthly. However, the situation has only deteriorated under President Biden's leadership, with each immigration judge now handling an average of 4,500 cases. This overwhelming workload has inundated judges, impeding their ability to keep pace with the torrent of incoming cases.
Despite the Biden administration's efforts, such as the recruitment of 302 new immigration judges, the backlog continues to swell. By the end of the last fiscal year of former President Obama's second term, the backlog had surged to a daunting 516,031 cases, even after the Justice Department raised the total number of immigration judges to 734. However, this increase has failed to alleviate the immense pressure on the system.
While the latest fiscal year saw each judge closing an average of approximately 975 cases – a closure rate nearly a third higher than during the Obama administration – it remains insufficient to match the influx of incoming cases. Consequently, immigration judges struggle to grapple with the overwhelming number of migrants vying for entry into the country.
November witnessed a staggering announcement from the US Customs and Border Protection, revealing encounters with 242,418 illegal immigrants at the US-Mexico border, setting a new monthly record. In an alarming turn, a single day in the previous week saw over 12,600 illegal immigrants encountered along the border, eclipsing all prior records. The Biden administration's failure to address this crisis has led the situation at the southern border to spiral out of control, posing a serious threat to national security and the integrity of the immigration system.
