End the Backlog Act

Bill: 114-hr-6456
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33]
Introduced: 2016-12-07
Policy area: Immigration
Latest action: action_date: 2016-12-12
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security.

Summaries:
action_date: 2016-12-07
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>End the Backlog Act</strong></p> <p>This bill requires that if the total amount appropriated for the Executive Office for Immigration Review does not exceed $485.3 million for FY2017, the total amount authorized to be appropriated for FY2018 and each of the three succeeding fiscal years for: (1) U.S. Customs and Border Protection is $13,219,051; and (2) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is $6,151,579.</p> <ul> </ul>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6456 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. Short title This Act may be cited as the End the Backlog Act . 2. Findings The Congress finds as follows: (1) Over the last decade, the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement resources have increased drastically. (2) Combined spending for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement increased 105 percent from fiscal year 2003 to fiscal year 2016, from $9,100,000,000 to approximately $20,100,000,000. (3) Over the last decade, the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s resources have not increased at the same rate as the rates for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (4) Immigration court spending for the Executive Office of Immigration Review increased 74 percent from fiscal year 2003 to fiscal year 2015, from $199,000,000 to $347,200,000. (5) In comparison to other Federal judges with similar responsibilities, immigration judges are expected to process 100 percent more cases with their current resources. (6) Immigration judges processed and adjudicated over 1,400 cases on average in fiscal year 2014 in comparison to 1998, during which immigration judges processed 641 cases. (7) In comparison, Federal judges averaged 566 cases in 2011 and Social Security administrative law judges processed 544 cases and hearings in 2007. (8) As more immigration cases are filed than processed, immigration court backlogs have more than doubled since 2002, with 166,000 cases processed during that fiscal year. (9) The Executive Office for Immigration Review reported 521,676 pending immigration cases as of November 2016. (10) The average removal case as of April 2015 had been pending for 604 days. (11) In July 2016, the Executive Office for Immigration Review announced plans for an increase of 122 immigration judges, bringing the total from 277 to 399. (12) A total of 524 judges is required to eliminate the current backlog and adjudicate incoming cases in a timely manner. 3. Rendering amounts authorized for CBP and ICE for contingent on amount appropriated for EOIR If, for fiscal year 2017, the total amount appropriated for the Executive Office for Immigration Review does not exceed 485,300,000, then, for fiscal year 2018 and each of the 3 succeeding fiscal years, the total amount authorized to be appropriated for— (1) U.S. Customs and Border Protection is $13,219,051; and (2) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is $6,151,579.