Millions of immigrants face potential removal given the growing immigration processing backlog. Over the past year, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’) processing times for immigration applications increased. According to NPR, individuals wait months without confirmation that immigration authorities received their applications.
Backlog
According to a review of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data by NPR, the DHS faces an immigration processing backlog of twelve million applications. One of the greatest jumps in the backlog came between February and March 2025. The total number of submitted immigration applications saw a ten percent increase throughout 2025.
Impact
The immigration processing backlog is turning into a “frontlog,” or the amount of applications USCIS hasn’t received or categorized. These applications aren’t processed, just taken by immigration officials. The number of frontlogged applications increased by four hundred percent between the third and fourth quarter of the 2025 fiscal year. For individuals placed in removal proceedings, the frontlog takes away proof of a pending application.
As always, ILBSG actively monitors ongoing U.S. immigration news. If you have questions about any U.S. immigration related issue, contact us. Working with an experienced attorney ensures you get the right advice based on the most recent laws. In an ever-evolving immigration policy landscape, it’s particularly critical you get the right advice.