By Syra Ortiz Blanes
The Miami Herald witnessed cases being scheduled as far in advance as 2027 over the course of several visits to the South Florida court. An analysis of Department of Homeland Security data from researchers at Syracuse University shows that there were over 320,000 pending immigration cases here as of July 2024, the largest backlog in any single court. The court currently has 28 judges assigned to the facility.
Outside the courtroom that day, the waiting room hummed in Spanish, English and Creole. Spouses, parents and siblings of migrants awaiting proceedings passed the time while their loved ones wrapped up their hearings. A Venezuelan man burrowed his head into his hands. Another held his 8-month-old son against his chest. Two women watched videos on one phone while a Cuban family dressed in white came in, stroller in tow.
For newcomers and their loved ones, the years-long wait times for their immigration cases to be heard and resolved causes chronic anxiety and an inability to put down roots. Migrants, unable to visit family while they are in these legal processes, are separated from relatives for long periods. Sometimes, they might become ineligible for immigration benefits or lose documents, photos or videos that could help them prove their asylum cases.
“This backlog creates a really prolonged uncertainty and hardship for people who are waiting for their day in court,” said Catherine Walker, the supervising attorney for the detention program at Miami-based Americans for Immigrant Justice, which offers legal counsel to immigrants.