Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) spearheaded a letter joined by 72 of her House colleagues, to the House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee requesting that Congress allocate funding for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).  The Trump Administration’s sweeping changes to our immigration system, termination of immigration judges, and mass deportation agenda threaten the integrity, operational efficiency, and fairness of our immigration courts. It is critical that EOIR has the resources to hire additional qualified immigration judges and provide them with sufficient case processing capacity—both to address the current backlog of more than 3.6 million pending immigration court cases and to ensure due process in an impartial and timely manner.

“Currently, our immigration courts face a staggering backlog of more than 3.6 million active pending cases, which EOIR has cited as the largest single issue facing the immigration courts today,” the members wrote.  “This growing backlog impedes our immigration system, creating significant barriers for people legally seeking asylum, migrants, pregnant women, and people with disabilities that seek to remain in the United States.  These complex cases can take up to seven years before receiving a hearing, leaving migrants, families, and communities in legal limbo as they await hearings and decisions.  At a time when President Trump is making sweeping changes to our immigration system that threaten the integrity, operational efficiency, and fairness of our immigration courts, adequately funding EOIR is essential to a well-functioning and fair immigration system. 

“It is crucial that Congress continues to support and invest in EOIR to ensure a well-functioning immigration system to adjudicate our immigration laws consistent with our values and address the growing backlog of pending cases,” the members continued.  “We strongly urge you to allocate the highest possible funding and include report language for EOIR funding to go towards the hiring of additional highly qualified judges, the hiring of additional judge teams, the modernization of case management system, the building and expansion of immigration courtroom spaces, and funding of the Legal Orientation Program.” 

In 2022, 2023, and 2024, Congresswoman Fletcher led similar letters requesting congressional funding to address the immigration courts’ backlog by hiring more highly qualified immigration judges. 

To read the full text of this year’s letter, click here.