Chicago's Immigration Court Passes 200,000 Pending Cases: What That Means If You Have a Case
By Kyle Eggleston, Founder ·
The Chicago immigration court, located at 55 E. Monroe St., 15th Floor, Chicago, IL and serving Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana, now has more than 200,000 pending cases as of March 2026, according to EOIR data reported by Injustice Watch. That's up from roughly 193,000 pending cases in early 2025, per TRAC Reports.
View data table
| Period | Pending cases | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Early 2025 | 193,000 | TRAC Reports |
| March 2026 | 200,000+ | EOIR data via Injustice Watch |
The national picture
Chicago's backlog reflects a nationwide trend: immigration courts had 3,318,099 pending cases nationally as of February 2026 (TRAC Reports), of which roughly 70% (about 2,322,671) were asylum cases as of February 2026. The average hearing wait nationally was around 1,424 days as of early 2024 (TRAC Reports).
What a growing backlog means for you
A larger backlog generally means longer waits between hearings. It also raises the stakes of tracking your own case: you can check your hearing status through the EOIR automated case status hotline at 800-898-7180. If you move, you must update your address with the immigration court within five business days — missing that step, or missing a hearing altogether, risks a removal order issued in your absence.
This article provides general information for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Immigration law changes frequently — speak with a licensed immigration attorney about your specific situation.
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Find a Chicago immigration lawyerKyle Eggleston is the founder of ChicagoImmigrationLawyer.net; his first job in Chicago was in immigration offices, and he later worked for immigration attorneys.