The number of Korean American immigration cases pending in U.S. immigration courts has reached 509, reflecting a major increase in filings and showing how deeply the backlog has expanded nationwide.
According to TRAC at Syracuse University, the 509 pending cases as of August represent a 35% rise from last year’s 378. Of those with cases in the system, 56 were detained and later released, while 4 remain in custody.
About 30% of all Korean American immigration cases are concentrated in California, particularly in LA, San Francisco, and Santa Ana. Overall, California courts account for 153 cases, the highest of any state. They are followed by New York (80), New Jersey (66), Georgia (39), Virginia (30), Texas (29), Illinois (18), and Washington (17).
Within California, the LA courts (including West LA and North LA) hold 70 cases, the largest share in the state. The Santa Ana court has 35, San Francisco 23, Van Nuys 11, and San Diego 6.
By age group, Korean Americans between 45 and 59 have the most cases (135), followed by those 35–44 (91), 25–34 (55), and 60 and older (41).
Attorney Dave No said the backlog worsened after the Trump administration dismissed dozens of immigration judges and reduced budgets, slowing decisions on immigration status and related proceedings across the federal system.
The delays are especially severe in Southern California. The North LA court has 42,383 pending immigration cases. The Van Nuys court has 40,998, and the West LA court 33,526, leaving tens of thousands of unresolved cases. In many situations, individuals wait years between receiving a Notice to Appear and a final ruling.
TRAC data shows that in Van Nuys, the average time from a Notice to Appear to a judge’s decision is 709 days. At West LA, the average wait is 685 days; at North LA, 613 days; and at Santa Ana, 548 days—nearly two years of waiting at most courts.
The case backlog is also linked to strengthened enforcement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) targeting undocumented immigrants. The nonprofit newsroom Mission Local reported on December 1 that DHS authority expanded under the Trump administration, allowing older cases to be reexamined and significantly increasing the workload for immigration courts.
The outlet noted that the administration allocated $75 billion over four years to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) but only $3.3 billion to the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), which oversees immigration judges. With too few judges, hearings that averaged 25 minutes during the Biden administration now last about four hours, according to the report.
Nationwide, immigration courts hold 3,413,337 pending cases. Florida has the largest backlog with 519,483 cases, followed by Texas (408,909), California (370,730), and New York (336,514).
BY YOONSEO SONG [song.yoonseo@koreadaily.com]
