I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6456 

To render the amounts authorized to be appropriated for U.S. Customs 

and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

for fiscal years 2018 through 2021 contingent upon the amount appropriated for the Executive Office for Immigration Review for fiscal year 

2017. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 7, 2016 

Mr. VEASEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committees on 

Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To render the amounts authorized to be appropriated for 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for fiscal years 2018 

through 2021 contingent upon the amount appropriated 

for the Executive Office for Immigration Review for fiscal year 2017. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘End the Backlog Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 The Congress finds as follows: 

3 (1) Over the last decade, the Department of 

4 Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement re5 sources have increased drastically. 

6 (2) Combined spending for U.S. Customs and 

7 Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Cus8 toms Enforcement increased 105 percent from fiscal 

9 year 2003 to fiscal year 2016, from $9,100,000,000 

10 to approximately $20,100,000,000. 

11 (3) Over the last decade, the Executive Office 

12 for Immigration Review’s resources have not in13 creased at the same rate as the rates for U.S. Cus14 toms and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration 

15 and Customs Enforcement. 

16 (4) Immigration court spending for the Execu17 tive Office of Immigration Review increased 74 per18 cent from fiscal year 2003 to fiscal year 2015, from 

19 $199,000,000 to $347,200,000. 

20 (5) In comparison to other Federal judges with 

21 similar responsibilities, immigration judges are ex22 pected to process 100 percent more cases with their 

23 current resources. 

24 (6) Immigration judges processed and adju25 dicated over 1,400 cases on average in fiscal year 


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1 2014 in comparison to 1998, during which immigra2 tion judges processed 641 cases. 

3 (7) In comparison, Federal judges averaged 566 

4 cases in 2011 and Social Security administrative law 

5 judges processed 544 cases and hearings in 2007. 

6 (8) As more immigration cases are filed than 

7 processed, immigration court backlogs have more 

8 than doubled since 2002, with 166,000 cases proc9 essed during that fiscal year. 

10 (9) The Executive Office for Immigration Re11 view reported 521,676 pending immigration cases as 

12 of November 2016. 

13 (10) The average removal case as of April 2015 

14 had been pending for 604 days. 

15 (11) In July 2016, the Executive Office for Im16 migration Review announced plans for an increase of 

17 122 immigration judges, bringing the total from 277 

18 to 399. 

19 (12) A total of 524 judges is required to elimi20 nate the current backlog and adjudicate incoming 

21 cases in a timely manner. 


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1 SEC. 3. RENDERING AMOUNTS AUTHORIZED FOR CBP AND 

2 ICE FOR CONTINGENT ON AMOUNT APPRO3 PRIATED FOR EOIR. 

4 If, for fiscal year 2017, the total amount appro5 priated for the Executive Office for Immigration Review 

6 does not exceed 485,300,000, then, for fiscal year 2018 

7 and each of the 3 succeeding fiscal years, the total amount 

8 authorized to be appropriated for— 

9 (1) U.S. Customs and Border Protection is 

10 $13,219,051; and 

11 (2) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforce12 ment is $6,151,579. 

Æ 


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