The Center for Immigration Studies reports a staggering increase in court no-shows, largely attributed to current U.S. immigration policies under the Biden administration. This has left judges struggling to manage a growing backlog of cases while critics call for reform to address the broken system.
Surge in Court No-Shows Exposes Crisis in U.S. Immigration System
Surge in Court No-Shows Exposes Crisis in U.S. Immigration System
A recent report highlights that over 507,000 immigrants failed to attend their court hearings, worsening the immigration court backlog significantly.
More than 507,000 illegal immigrants failed to appear for their scheduled court hearings between Fiscal Year 2022 and December 2024, according to a recent analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS). This alarming statistic has exacerbated the already struggling immigration court system, leaving it further strained.
The Biden administration's catch-and-release policies have permitted tens of thousands of migrants to enter the U.S. with just a Notice to Appear—a document indicating a future court date. However, the CIS analysis indicates that over half a million individuals did not comply with this requirement, resulting in immigration judges issuing in absentia removal orders.
This number reflects a 45% increase in no-shows compared to the preceding seven years—a period that included both the latter Obama administration and the first term of former President Trump, during which enforcement measures were much more stringent and court compliance rates were significantly higher.
The repercussions for the courts have been severe, as immigration dockets were already overwhelmed with over three million pending cases. The spike in no-shows has created immense challenges for judges, making it virtually impossible to process cases efficiently. As a result, courts are left to issue default deportation orders, yet without any robust enforcement mechanism currently in place, these orders often fail to be acted upon, allowing many individuals to disappear into the U.S.
Andrew R. Arthur from CIS remarked that the system is not just under pressure; it is intentionally undermined. "Those 500,000-plus no-shows indicate the Biden administration's aim to dismantle the immigration court process by refusing to detain those who enter illegally," he stated.
Critics assert that in the absence of mandatory detention and adequate oversight, the immigration court process becomes largely ineffective—a mere symbolic exercise where justice is consistently delayed and frequently ignored.
In response to this ongoing crisis, the Trump administration has committed to reinstating detention-first policies, increasing the number of immigration judges, and enhancing their authority and resources to enforce rulings and mitigate the backlog.
Without these critical reforms, experts warn that the immigration courts will continue to be inundated and ineffective, serving as a stark reminder of the shortcomings in Biden's border policies.
