As of September 2023: June 2026, 734 immigration judges were actively deciding cases while the backlog climbed to 2,126,656 pending matters nationwide by October. With filings up 33% to a record 1,611,625 in FY 2023 and an average 1,157 days from filing to final decision, you can see how processing speed, decision rates, and case outcomes can pull in opposite directions. The most surprising part is that the strain is uneven, with places like New York and border cities facing backlogs that change what “typical” looks like for respondents and judges alike.
Key Takeaways
- As of September 2023: June 2026, there were 734 immigration judges actively deciding cases in the U.S.
- The immigration court backlog reached 2,126,656 cases pending as of October 2023: June 2026
- Immigration judges completed 1,036,417 cases in FY 2023, averaging about 1,411 cases per judge
- Asylum grant rate for immigration judges averaged 36.5% in FY 2023
- Judges denied asylum in 46% of cases decided on merits in FY 2022
- Removal orders issued in 62% of completed cases in FY 2023
- 55% of immigration judges were appointed during the Trump administration as of 2023
- Average age of immigration judges is 52 years in 2023
- 68% of judges have prior government service, mostly DOJ or ICE
- Judges averaged 700 decisions per year individually in FY 2023
- Top 10% of judges decided over 1,500 cases in FY 2022
- Judge denial rates range from 0% to 100% in asylum cases over careers
- EOIR budget for judges was $820 million in FY 2023
- $170 million allocated for hiring 100 new judges in FY 2024
- Judge salaries average $187,000 annually in 2023
With a record 1.6 million filings and a 2.1 million backlog, immigration judges handled over 1.0 million cases in FY 2023.
Related reading
01 · Category
Caseload and Backlog20 stats
01
As of September 2023: June 2026, there were 734 immigration judges actively deciding cases in the U.S.
02
The immigration court backlog reached 2,126,656 cases pending as of October 2023: June 2026
03
Immigration judges completed 1,036,417 cases in FY 2023, averaging about 1,411 cases per judge
04
Average time from filing to final decision in immigration courts was 1,157 days as of FY 2023
05
New cases filed in immigration courts increased by 33% from FY 2022 to FY 2023, totaling 1,611,625
06
42% of immigration judges handled over 1,000 cases in FY 2022
07
The backlog per judge averaged 2,898 cases nationwide in September 2023
08
Immigration judges in New York courts faced a backlog of over 300,000 cases in 2023
09
FY 2021 saw judges complete 522,420 cases amid a 17% backlog increase
10
Master calendar hearings accounted for 68% of all completions in FY 2023
11
Border cities like El Paso had backlogs exceeding 50,000 cases per judge equivalent in 2023
12
Pandemic-related continuances added 200,000+ cases to the backlog in 2020-2021
13
Judges issued 673,378 merits decisions in FY 2022
14
The backlog grew by 775,000 cases from FY 2021 to FY 2023
15
Average caseload per judge rose from 2,000 in 2019 to 2,900 in 2023
16
FY 2023 filings hit a record 1.6 million, overwhelming 700+ judges
17
25% of cases pending over 4 years as of 2023
18
Houston immigration courts had 150,000+ pending cases in 2023
19
Judges' productivity dipped 10% in FY 2020 due to COVID
20
Projected backlog to hit 3 million by end of FY 2024 without reforms
Interpretation
Caseload and Backlog Interpretation
The system is a tragic comedy where 734 judges, each heroically juggling nearly 3,000 cases, are handed a bucket to empty an ocean that grows by over a million new filings a year, ensuring justice remains perpetually three years away and mathematically impossible.
02 · Category
Decisions and Outcomes18 stats
01
Asylum grant rate for immigration judges averaged 36.5% in FY 2023
02
Judges denied asylum in 46% of cases decided on merits in FY 2022
03
Removal orders issued in 62% of completed cases in FY 2023
04
Voluntary departure granted in 12% of cases by judges in FY 2022
05
Bond release granted in 25% of bond hearings in FY 2023
06
Cancellation of removal approved at 28% rate for eligible cases in FY 2023
07
Judges sustained NTA in 85% of cases in FY 2022
08
Asylum denial rates varied from 10% to 90% across judges in FY 2023
09
41% of merits decisions were grants of relief in FY 2021
10
Over 50,000 credible fear reviews remanded or granted by judges in FY 2023
11
Judges terminated 8% of proceedings in FY 2022
12
Adjustment of status granted in 75% of eligible cases in FY 2023
13
Prosecutorial discretion motions granted in 15% of cases in FY 2022
14
Removal to third countries ordered in 2% of cases in FY 2023
15
Judges granted withholding of removal in 18% of cases in FY 2022
16
Continuances granted in 35% of hearings in FY 2023
17
Administrative closure applied in 5% of cases in FY 2021
18
70% of unaccompanied minor cases resulted in relief grants in FY 2023
Interpretation
Decisions and Outcomes Interpretation
This snapshot of immigration court reveals a system of profound human consequence, where an asylum seeker's fate often hinges less on a uniform standard of law and more on the particular judge hearing their case, as grant rates swing wildly from 10% to 90%, yet within that disparity there are consistent threads of both hope and harshness, with relief granted in a significant minority of cases but removal ordered in a clear majority.
03 · Category
Judge Demographics and Backgrounds16 stats
01
55% of immigration judges were appointed during the Trump administration as of 2023
02
Average age of immigration judges is 52 years in 2023
03
68% of judges have prior government service, mostly DOJ or ICE
04
Only 12% of judges are Hispanic/Latino despite handling many Latino cases
05
Female judges comprise 42% of the total in FY 2023
06
Average tenure of immigration judges is 8.5 years as of 2023
07
25 judges were newly appointed in FY 2023 by AG Garland
08
35% of judges hold advanced degrees in law beyond JD
09
Black judges make up 7% of the bench in 2023
10
Prior private practice experience in 28% of judges' backgrounds
11
Asian American judges at 5% of total in FY 2023
12
15 judges retired or resigned in FY 2022
13
Judges under 40 years old represent 8% of the corps in 2023
14
Military veteran judges at 10% in FY 2023
15
60% of judges previously prosecuted immigration cases
16
White judges constitute 65% of immigration judiciary in 2023
Interpretation
Judge Demographics and Backgrounds Interpretation
The immigration court bench is predominantly white, male, and Trump-appointed, which raises serious questions about judicial diversity and systemic impartiality in a system that disproportionately adjudicates the fates of people of color.
More related reading
04 · Category
Performance Metrics16 stats
01
Judges averaged 700 decisions per year individually in FY 2023
02
Top 10% of judges decided over 1,500 cases in FY 2022
03
Judge denial rates range from 0% to 100% in asylum cases over careers
04
Average decision time per case is 45 days for merits in FY 2023
05
20 judges had asylum grant rates above 80% in FY 2022
06
Bottom quartile judges completed under 500 cases in FY 2023
07
Appeal sustainment rate against judges was 12% in FY 2022
08
Judges with 10+ years experience average 15% higher productivity
09
85% of judges met or exceeded FY 2023 productivity quotas
10
Variance in bond grant rates from 5% to 60% across judges
11
Senior judges (over 65) averaged 900 cases/year in FY 2023
12
Misapplication of law led to 18% of BIA reversals in FY 2022
13
Judges handling 1,000+ cases had 5% higher denial rates
14
FY 2023 productivity rose 22% from prior year
15
30 judges flagged for outlier decision rates in FY 2022
16
Average continuances per case: 2.3 in FY 2023
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
This system presents a breathtaking panorama of American justice, where the gavel's speed, the judge's birthday, and the courtroom's zip code can matter as much as the facts of a case.
05 · Category
Resources and Funding20 stats
01
EOIR budget for judges was $820 million in FY 2023
02
$170 million allocated for hiring 100 new judges in FY 2024
03
Judge salaries average $187,000annually in 2023
04
Technology upgrades cost $50 million for courts in FY 2022
05
200 courtrooms added via $100 million infrastructure in FY 2023
06
Training budget per judge: $5,000yearly in FY 2023
07
Interpreters cost EOIR $120 million in FY 2022
08
Staff-to-judge ratio improved to 3:1 in FY 2023
09
$30 million for video teleconferencing expansion in FY 2023
10
Backlog reduction funding: $500 million requested for FY 2024
11
Per-judge operational cost: $250,000in FY 2022
12
50 new interpreter contracts funded at $40 million in FY 2023
13
EOIR headquarters staffing grew 15% with $20 million in FY 2023
14
Digital case management system rollout cost $75 million by 2023
15
FY 2021 supplemental funding added $65 million for judges
16
Average court facility space per judge: 1,200 sq ft in 2023
17
Overtime pay for judges totaled $15 million in FY 2022
18
Travel budget for judges: $8 million annually in FY 2023
19
Law clerk positions funded for 500 at $120k avg salary in FY 2023
20
Proposed FY 2025 budget seeks $1.2 billion for EOIR operations
Interpretation
Resources and Funding Interpretation
It appears we are spending a king's ransom to build a 21st-century legal mill, yet the gears still seem to grind at the pace of a 19th-century clerk armed with a quill.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 27). Immigration Judge Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/immigration-judge-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Immigration Judge Statistics." Gitnux, 27 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/immigration-judge-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Immigration Judge Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/immigration-judge-statistics.
Sources & references
12 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level