On Behalf of Palacios Law Group
Perhaps one of the most frustrating things to deal with is simply waiting for more information about something important. Those hoping to immigrate to New York might be facing a whole new round of frustrations as the waiting time for immigration hearings reaches a historic high. Although there are many different factors at play, here are a few issues contributing to this growing backlog.
Over the past several years, many immigration courts have not received adequate funding. This translates into a lack of resources that make it difficult to carry out all of the necessary processes of an otherwise functioning government office. In 2018, the number of backlogged cases hit one million.
Things are not getting any better, either. With the recent government shutdown, many immigration courts have temporarily closed their doors. This means that people who had already been waiting for their scheduled court dates to arrive were suddenly cancelled on and told they would have to reschedule once the shutdown is over. Some people are expecting wait times of more than a year. This can be especially terrifying for asylum applicants who are waiting in their home countries and potentially facing more and more violence with each passing day.
The news might not be all bad, though. Individuals are pending deportation proceedings are usually not detained by immigration officials, so this period of time might be a good opportunity to focus on finding a way to remain in New York. It also gives other individuals the opportunity to focus more fully on their applications and accompanying documents, making sure that they are as free of errors as possible.
