Immigration Court Crisis: Over 500,000 No-Shows During Biden Administration

A recent report shows that more than 507,000 illegal immigrants failed to appear for court hearings under Biden’s policies, exacerbating the backlog in immigration courts and prompting calls for reform.

More than 507,000 illegal immigrants failed to attend their scheduled court hearings between Fiscal Year 2022 and December 2024, as outlined in a fresh analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS). This staggering figure has contributed to the ongoing crisis within the already burdened immigration court system in the United States.

During the Biden administration, many migrants were released into the U.S. with only a Notice to Appear, essentially a request for them to be present at a later court date. However, the CIS study revealed that over half a million individuals did not comply, leading to in absentia removal orders from immigration judges.

This represents a dramatic 45% increase in no-shows compared to the preceding seven years, which encompasses the latter part of President Obama’s tenure and the initial term of President Trump, during which enforcement actions were notably stricter and compliance rates higher.

The repercussions for the courts have been severe. As immigration dockets are already burdened with over 3 million backlogged cases, the influx of missed appearances has rendered it nearly impossible for judges to manage case processing efficiently. Consequently, courts often resort to issuing default deportation orders; however, the lack of real enforcement following these orders has led many of those ordered removed to simply disappear into the country.

Andrew R. Arthur from CIS criticized the current administration's approach, suggesting that it has intentionally disrupted the immigration court system by avoiding the detention of illegals upon entry. “Those 500,000-plus no-shows are a symptom of the Biden administration’s effort to dismantle the immigration court process,” he stated.

Critics also argue that the absence of mandatory detention or effective monitoring renders the immigration court system merely a token exercise—a process where justice is often delayed, denied, and easily ignored.

In response, the Trump administration has vowed to reintroduce strict detention policies, increase the number of immigration judges, and empower them with the necessary authority and resources to enforce judicial decisions and alleviate the court backlog.

Experts caution that without these crucial reforms, U.S. immigration courts risk remaining overwhelmed, ineffective, and irrelevant—a dire consequence of the Biden administration’s misguided border strategies.