Record Number of New Immigration Court Cases Arrive in August; Destinations For Asylum Seekers Shifting
2023-09-20 August 2023 saw a record number of new deportation cases arrive at the Immigration Court. In August alone, thirty-seven counties in eighteen different states received 1,000 or more immigrants with new Immigration Court cases.
The Changing Make-Up of Immigration Court Cases Now That Title 42 Has Ended
2023-08-16 Now that Title 42 has ended has there
been a large influx of new Immigration Court cases? The actual shifting number and nationalities
of asylum seekers and other immigrants now arriving at the Court.
A Close Look at the Geography of Border Patrol Arrests: How a Spike in Annual Arrests Along U.S.-Mexico Border Hides Remarkable Variation by Sector and Nationality
2023-08-15 Detailed data on nearly 15 years of
Border Patrol arrests paints a complicated and dynamic picture of where migrants are arrested and
where migrants are coming from.
Detained Immigrants Seeking Release on Bond Have Widely Different Outcomes, Overall Bond Grant Rates Have Dropped
2023-07-19 Detained immigrants seeking release on
bond have widely differing outcomes depending upon where they are being held. Current bond grant
rate of just 31 percent represented a dramatic drop from earlier administrations.
Convictions for Transporting or Harboring Undocumented Immigrants Jump Under Biden
2023-07-13 Monthly convictions for transporting or
harboring undocumented immigrants leaped to an all-time high in January 2023, far outpacing the
previous high in January 2020 under former President Trump. Convictions aren't limited to
smuggling undocumented immigrants across the U.S. border.
Top County Destinations for Asylum Seekers
2023-06-21 New York City remains the top destination
for recently arrived migrants seeking asylum in the United States. Compared to New York City,
Houston and Miami-Dade County are a distant fourth and fifth place.
New Data on ICE Immigrant Detainers Show Sharp Drop Since Start of Biden Administration
2023-06-20 According to the latest records received
from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the number of immigrant detainers sent to local
law-enforcement agencies declined considerably at the start of the Biden administration.
ICE Again Bungles Alternatives to Detention Data, Claims Contractor is Charging $550,000 Per Day
2023-05-31 ICE's releases dubious data on
alternatives to detention program, the latest in a long line of misleading data publications that
undermine public transparency.
Immigration Processing Delays Prompt Record Number of Mandamus Lawsuits in Federal Court
2023-05-15 Growing dissatisfaction with the US
government's processing of immigration paperwork is leading to a spike in the number of
immigration lawsuits, especially "mandamus" lawsuits, in federal court.
Despite Efforts to Provide Pro Bono Representation, Growth Is Failing To Meet Exploding Needs
2023-05-12 A remarkable story of the increase in pro
bono [free] attorneys assisting asylum seekers. But despite their growth, volunteer efforts have
not been able to keep up with exploding needs.
Immigration Judges Overturn Asylum Officer's Negative Credible Fear Findings in a Quarter of All Cases
2023-03-14 In a quarter of 100,000 cases Immigration
Judges overturn asylum officer's negative credible fear findings--overturn rates vary markedly
by nationality.
25 Years of Immigration Court Decisions
2023-03-09 Decisions in Immigration Court cases
under Biden administration set new records comparing 25 years of history.
False Reporting by Contractor on Alternatives to Technology Activities
2023-03-07 False reporting revealed by contractor
for ICE's Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program in newly released participant-by-participant
report.
Immigration Court Case Closures Accelerate, Racing to Catch Up with Growing DHS Filings
2023-02-21 Immigration Court case closures on pace
to grow to nearly half a million cases, topping all previous records.
TRAC Immigration Tools
The First Things
A TRAC data tool provides instant result on your queries. Here are a few important things
to know: 
- Work from bottom to up, from left to right.
- Build your queries using the 3 dropdown menus in sequence. (Follow the 1, 2, and 3).
- The graph is the result of your query. Mouseover reveals the details of data. The graph display can be adjusted using the controls next to it.
- There are additional radio buttons or dropdown menus around the graph, which can be used for tuning the display (for instance, to switch between Number and Percent or to choose a fiscal year).
Looking for Immigration Data?TRAC has a tool for it
For the past 15 years, TRAC has been a valuable source of immigration data.
TRAC's reports and statistics are often cited in news articles, used in scholarly and legal publications, and referred to by government officials.
TRAC's data tools and applications are accessed by thousands of people each month and TRAC
reports are sent to people across the US and around the world. This report provides a brief
introduction to our immigration data and tools. We hope that this is helpful for those of you
who are new to TRAC's work, and benefit more experienced users as well.
Featured App: Asylum Backlog
Learn to use TRAC tools by an example.
In Chicago's Immigration Court, how many Ukrainians have filed applications for asylum and
were not yet represented?
To follow along, click on the icon on the right to launch the app. Use the 3 dropdown menus
to construct the query. Notice the information above the graph, as it is very useful to show
the selected dimensions. Click to open the first dropdown, choose Immigration Court, then choose Chicago from the table underneath the dropdown menu. Then, make selections on the second and third dropdown menu as shown in the snapshot. The tables under the dropdown menu contain statistical data. For instance, from the third table, we can see the total persons from Ukraine who have filed asylum applications with the Chicago Immigration Court and the number who are Not Represented.
Knowing how to build the queries and read the result is a powerful skill. If you have questions or comments, please contact us. We would love to hear from you.
Featured App: Immigration Court Backlog
How many Venezuelans are in the Immigration Court backlog and which state and court are they
waiting for a hearing in?
Click the icon to launch app. Use the 3 dropdown menus to construct the query. Notice the
information above the graph, as it is very useful to show the selected dimensions.
Click to open the first dropdown, choose Nationality, then choose Venezuela from the table underneath the dropdown menu.
In the second dropdown, choose Immigration Court State then select the top state. The top state here answers your query.
(Optional) If you wish, you can explore further by making a selection from the third table’s dropdown. .
The tables under the dropdown menus contain statistical data. Notice that both columns in
the tables under the dropdown menus are sortable. Sorting can help you to become more
efficient in using the apps.
Featured App: New Immigration Court Proceedings
Which state is currently receiving the most new Immigration Court Cases?
Click the icon to launch app. Use the 3 dropdown menus to construct the query. Notice the
information above the graph, as it is very useful to show the selected dimensions.Click to open the first dropdown, choose Month and Year NTA Dated, then click on the bar with
or
above the
month-date to sort by date. We want to sort by reverse time order so you need to click on
this sort icon twice. In the second dropdown, choose Immigration Court State then select the top state. The top state here answers your query. (Optional) If you wish, you can explore further by making a selection from the third table’s dropdown. Or, you can explore by selecting the radio button next to the pie chart for "by Month and Year" to display a time series graph and see how the new filings in the top state have changed over time.
InfoGraph
The decrease from the levels five years ago in immigration prosecutions for these matters is shown more clearly in this figure. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of immigration prosecutions of this type recorded on a month-to-month basis. Where a prosecution was initially filed in U.S. Magistrate Court and then transferred to the U.S. District Court, the magistrate filing date was used since this provides an earlier indicator of actual trends.
more infographs
Reference Library
- Immigration Detention: Actions Needed to Collect Consistent Information for Segregated Housing Oversigh
- Southwest Border: CBP Oversees Short- Term Custody Standards, but Border Patrol Could Better Monitor Care of At-Risk Individuals
- Border Patrol Could Better Monitor Care
A reference library of reports on immigration matters produced by government agencies and offices
including the Government Accountability Office, the inspectors general of the agencies, the
Congressional Research Service, House and Senate committees, etc.
more references
Glossary
Random word: Asylee
A person who has been granted asylum status in the U.S. Asylees are given certain legal rights, such
as to be able to remain indefinitely in this country, to bring spouses and minor children to the
U.S. as asylees, and to work legally. They also are eligible for some public benefits and to apply
for lawful permanent residence (green card) after a one-year waiting period.
Plain English definitions of immigration terms and acronyms.
more glossaries