Dean Johnson Comments on Surge of Immigration Cases for Daily Journal

Dean Kevin R. Johnson commented for the Daily Journal on the surge of cases hitting the nation's immigration courts in the wake of ramped-up enforcement efforts.  The article reports that the backlog of cases awaiting disposal by immigration judges grew 19 percent between 2006 and 2009 in the wake of increased funding for prosecutors and immigration officials.

"Historically, the problem has been that resources have been going to enforcement, and very few resources have been going to the immigration courts and to improve services to immigrants awaiting visas," Dean Johnson commented.  "The immigration courts have not been a high priority with the Justice Department. The result is immigration judges are so overworked the quality of the decision-making isn't what it should be."

Kevin R. Johnson is dean and Mabie-Apallas Professor of Public Interest Law and Chicana/o Studies at UC Davis School of Law. He is an internationally recognized scholar in the fields of immigration law and policy, refugee law, and civil rights.