Asylum seekers wait 4-7 years for a hearing because immigration courts have a backlog of 3.7 million cases

A Venezuelan family crosses the US-Mexico border and applies for asylum. They pass a credible fear screening. Their case is assigned to an immigration court. Their first hearing date: 2030. They must live in the US for 4-7 years in legal limbo — they can eventually get a work permit (after 180 days) but cannot travel, cannot access most benefits, and cannot make long-term plans. If after 5 years a judge denies their asylum claim, they are deported — having built a life, enrolled kids in school, established a community — back to the country they fled. So what? The US asylum system promises due process (the right to present your case before a judge) but delivers a 5-year wait. During those 5 years, families live in uncertainty that causes severe psychological harm — studies show asylum seekers have 3x the rate of PTSD and depression compared to resettled refugees who have status. Children grow up American (language, culture, friends) and are deported to countries they do not remember. The system neither protects people quickly (genuine refugees wait years) nor deters false claims (anyone can file and stay for years pending a hearing). It fails everyone. Why does this persist? There are 600 immigration judges for 3.7 million pending cases. Hiring more judges requires Congressional funding. Each judge handles 1,500+ cases per year — 4x the caseload of a federal district judge. The immigration court is part of the DOJ (executive branch), not the judicial branch, meaning judges can be pressured by political priorities. Both parties benefit politically from the dysfunction: one side uses the backlog to argue for stricter enforcement, the other side uses it to argue for more resources. Neither side fixes it.