FLORIDA NOW LEADS U.S. IN IMMIGRATION COURT BACKLOG: 520,000 CASES AS EOIR JUDGE FIRINGS AND ICE DETENTION SURGE STRAIN DUE PROCESS

Florida now holds the nation’s largest immigration court backlog, with 520,000+ cases pending in Miami, Orlando and Krome. Shortages and firings of immigration judges at EOIR, coupled with expanded state-local enforcement partnerships and rising detentions, are stretching due process. Average waits hover around four years and could climb without major judicial hiring. Proposed fixes like National Guard lawyers and strict decision deadlines face limits; experts call for thousands more judges, added staff, and streamlined asylum grants for clear cases.