The U.S. green card backlog has reached 1.2 million applicants, with Indian nationals facing unprecedented wait times due to federal immigration caps.
PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Indians seeking U.S. green cards now face wait times as long as 179 years due to federal caps on annual green card issuances and country-specific limits. The backlog has reached 1.2 million applicants, with countries like India and China experiencing the longest delays. DETAIL: U.S. immigration law limits green card issuances to 140,000 annually, with no more than seven percent allocated to any single country. This disproportionately affects applicants from populous nations like India and China, who can face decades-long wait times for approval. For Indian nationals with EB-2 status (advanced degree professionals), the wait time is estimated at 179 years, while Chinese applicants face waits of 25 years. In…Open
A work slowdown by the Trump administration's immigration offices has exploded the backlog of applications for citizenship, green cards and work permits to an unprecedented 7.5 million people, according to the latest agency data. - Add the millions of immigrants waiting on decisions for asylum, work visas and permission to stay in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons, and the total backlog soars to more than 12.1 million. Why it matters: The delays have put potentially millions of people in legal immigration limbo — vulnerable to being arrested by ICE agents and deported, even if they've followed the rules to try to stay in the U.S. - Officials say the delays are being driven by the administration's new focus on stricter vetting. A wave…
The Trump administration is using mass hearings to support mass deportation efforts, with upwards of 100 immigrants scheduled in single sessions.
An expedited immigration court process implemented by the Trump administration aims to reduce the backlog of cases, accelerate mass deportations, and fulfill campaign promises. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration is using mass hearings to support mass deportation efforts with upwards of 100 immigrants scheduled in single sessions. DETAIL: Immigration courts under President Trump have adopted “mega master” hearings to expedite deportation cases . Suspected illegal migrants will now face immediate removal if they don’t respond in court or miss a hearing. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has also instructed immigration judges, including roughly 600 temporary military lawyers, to deny bond, dismiss cases, and enact…Open
The average wait for a test in England and Scotland has hit 22 weeks, up from five weeks before the pandemic, leading to frustration and attempts to jump the line.
The next big phase of President Trump's mass deportations is set to begin as "deportation judges" turn to 3.6 million backlogged cases. Why it matters: Speeding up immigration court rulings could allow ICE to carry out more deportations , as most cases end in final removal orders. - Trump spent much of 2025 purging the beleaguered immigration courts. 55 immigration judges were fired, and another 80 retired. - He then went to MAGA central casting to appoint America's new top immigration judge, retired Marine Corps Col. Daren Margolin. Zoom in: Margolin retired from being an immigration judge in early 2024 because of his disgust with the Biden administration's handling of the surge at the southern border. - "Personally, I felt like a…