US deals with immigration attorney shortage as cases continue to rise, study shows

As the United States grapples with the influx of hundreds of thousands of migrants seeking legal status, new data highlights another challenge: a shortage of immigration attorneys.

Every month, thousands of migrants from various parts of the world enter the United States in hopes of beginning anew. Those who aren’t immediately turned away often find themselves navigating the overwhelmed immigration court system.

Susan Long, co-director of the Syracuse University Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), emphasized the pressing need for solutions. TRAC’s recent findings indicate that nearly 1.5 million immigration cases were filed last year nationwide. By December, the backlog of immigration cases had surpassed 3 million.

This backlog means that there’s a significant demand for immigration attorneys, with three times as many immigrants needing legal representation compared to available supply, according to Long.

In Texas, TRAC research ranks the state sixth in the nation for courts with the lowest representation rates. Texas has a backlog of 458,000 immigration cases, of which only 85,000 have legal representation from immigration attorneys.

Mana Yegani, an immigration attorney based in Houston, expressed little surprise at the shortage of attorneys, attributing it to a broken system. Yegani, with over a decade of experience in immigration law, described how her clients often wait six to 10 years for decisions on their legal status, with 80% of cases typically denied by immigration judges.

The emotional toll on immigration attorneys is substantial, with many experiencing burnout. Yegani noted instances of attorneys abruptly closing their offices due to overwhelming challenges.

To address these issues, Yegani and others in her field advocate for bipartisan agreements and updated immigration laws. She emphasized that existing laws constrain their ability to assist clients effectively.

Addressing these systemic problems, Yegani believes, would lead to an increase in the number of attorneys willing to take on immigration cases.