Courts are currently backlogged with 3.7m cases as US president demands more deportations

Summary

The Trump administration has abruptly fired 20 immigration judges without explanation, raising concerns amid efforts to accelerate deportations.

The firings include judges who had yet to be sworn in and senior officials overseeing immigration courts, which already face a backlog of 3.7 million cases.

Union official Matthew Biggs said it was unclear if the move was meant to send a message on immigration policy but called it part of a broader federal workforce purge, adding, “They’re treating these people as if they’re not human beings. It’s bad all around.”

    • iowagneiss@midwest.socialEnglish
      5·
      4 days ago

      I work in college financial aid. Students are eligible for federal/state funds if they’ve been granted asylum and in the country for at least a year since being granted asylum. So many still have an application pending. The process shouldn’t take more than a year, but I’ve personally seen someone whose application has been pending for seven years, and I’ve heard of longer ones. In the interim, they get a temporary status and work authorization, but I can’t imagine the stress they’re under while waiting this out and watching the new administration work against them.