A Court System Under Pressure
The immigration court system, already strained by a record 3 million pending cases, faces a crossroads. The addition of dozens of new judges could help reduce backlogs but also reshapes the institutional culture of EOIR amid concerns about independence, case quotas, and political influence.
With Chief Judge Riley pledging to “uphold the rule of law and restore public faith,” the new judicial class faces the monumental task of steering the nation’s immigration courts through one of their most turbulent eras in decades.
As one observer noted, the DOJ’s new appointments are more than just bureaucratic reshuffling — they are “the rebuilding of a courtroom system that sits at the intersection of law, humanity, and national policy.”
