Judge Mimi Tsankov Testifies in the Senate on the Problems Facing the U.S. Immigration Court

Judge Mimi Tsankov, president of NAIJ/IFPTE Judicial Council 2, testified this week before the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Security on the myriad problems “in the current Immigration Court system, which has led us to today’s untenable court system, with 2.6 million cases now waiting to be heard.” 

The hearing, chaired by Subcommittee Chair Alex Padilla (D-CA), examined the status of the U.S. Immigration Court, with Judge Tsankov describing the impact of insufficient court resources and support staff, concerns about due process rights and political interference, and the challenges facing our nation’s 700 immigration judges.  

Following the hearing, Judge Tsankov commented that, “The NAIJ is thankful that Chairman Padilla has prioritized solving the problems in the immigration court and addressing the working conditions and pressures that immigration judges face. We are pleased that the Chairman recognizes our critical role in the adjudicatory process and is committed to making sure to preserve the due process protections of those who appear before us.” 

See the full hearing and read Judge Tsankov’s submitted statement for the record here. 

Read the AFL-CIO’s statement for the record on the immigration court and in support of NAIJ’s collective bargaining rights and judicial independence [PDF]. 

Judge Mimi Tsankov