The Facts: A System in Crisis
Understanding why we need Para-Lawyer Judges now.
The System Is Broken
These numbers prove the immigration court system cannot handle the current caseload. Asylum seekers wait years for hearings while the backlog grows every day.
3.5M+
Pending Cases
Total immigration court backlog as of late 2024.
4-7
Years Wait Time
Average time for an asylum case to be heard.
~700
Immigration Judges
Currently serving in 70 federal courts.
5,000+
Cases Per Judge
Average caseload—far beyond capacity.
The Bottom Line:
With only ~700 judges handling 3.5+ million cases, the math doesn't work. Each judge would need to process 5,000+ cases just to clear the current backlog—without any new cases being filed. The system is fundamentally overwhelmed.
Why Can't We Just Hire More Judges?
Becoming a qualified immigration judge takes 7+ years of education. That's why we can't simply train more judges fast enough to address the crisis.
Bachelor's Degree
Required prerequisite before law school admission. Any major, but pre-law focus is common.
Juris Doctor (JD)
Full-time law school program (4-5 years if part-time). Accredited by the ABA.
Bar Exam & Experience
Must pass the bar exam, then gain years of legal experience before becoming a judge.
Total Years to Qualify
At minimum 7 years of higher education before someone can even begin the path to becoming an immigration judge.
The Para-Lawyer Judge Solution
Here's the key insight: Immigration law specialization requires only 10-15 credit hours of focused coursework. We don't need 7 years of general legal education to train competent asylum hearing officers.
10-15
Credit Hours
Required for immigration law specialization certificates at accredited programs.
1-2
Years Training
Focused program could train Para-Lawyer Judges in a fraction of the time.
1000s
New Judges
Could be deployed rapidly to communities across the country.
What Para-Lawyer Judges Would Learn:
3 credits — Foundational coursework
2-3 credits — Specialized knowledge
4-6 credits — Real case experience
The Math Is Simple
Instead of waiting 7+ years to train each new judge through the traditional system, we can train Para-Lawyer Judges in 1-2 years with focused immigration law education. Deploy them to federal buildings across the country, and we can finally make a dent in the 3.5+ million case backlog.
Para-Lawyer Judges are the solution. Sign the PetitionSources & References
Immigration Court Backlog & Wait Times: Data regarding the 3.5+ million case backlog and asylum wait times is sourced from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), The Regulatory Review, Congress.gov, and HIAS.
Judicial Staffing: The count of approximately 600-735 immigration judges reflects official staffing levels reported by the EOIR and analyzed by USAFacts.
Judge Qualifications: Requirements for 7+ years of post-bar experience are cited in standard Department of Justice (DOJ) Immigration Judge job announcements.
Legal Education: Credit hour requirements for immigration law specialization (10-15 credits) are based on curriculum standards from accredited U.S. law schools offering certificates in immigration law, such as Loyola University New Orleans.