The US Asylum Backlog is Nearing 1.6 Million, the Highest Number on RecordThe latest available data

The US Asylum Backlog is Nearing 1.6 Million, the Highest Number on Record

The latest available data reveal that the number of asylum seekers waiting for asylum hearings in the U.S. has now reached at least 1,565,966 individuals.

About half of this total, or 787,882, are waiting for hearings before judges in the Immigration Courts housed in the Department of Justice. The other half, or 778,084 asylum seekers, are waiting for hearings before United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) asylum officers who are housed in the Department of Homeland Security.