Asylum denial crisis

Chicago immigration court approval rates dropped to 3.3% this year from 14.6% last year as Trump administration changes push judges to deny asylum petitions.

Venezuelan man's case

A venezuelan man testified he was kidnapped and sodomized by police officers who swore revenge, yet his asylum case was denied because judges doubted his account of police using a single motorcycle.

“they will kill me, these police officers, they’ll know when i am there in venezuela. i don’t want to return”

Judge Beese's record

Judge matthew c. beese, appointed in october 2025, has denied 212 asylum cases out of 802 with only 13 approvals, and 511 cases marked as abandoned.

New judges lack immigration expertise

Seven of ten new chicago immigration judges have no background in immigration law, having worked in military or administrative law instead.

Firing of experienced judges

Eva saltzman, a judge with positive performance reviews, was fired in july 2026 after working as an immigration judge since 2016.

Rule changes for judges

New rules narrow asylum eligibility and speed up deadlines, causing somalis to have their hearing dates moved up without explanation.

Asylum approval rate drop

The national asylum approval rate dropped to 2.1% this year from 8.8% last year according to a chicago sun-times and wbez analysis.

Judges under pressure

Immigration judges face heavy caseloads, narrowed asylum rules, and urgent deadlines to process migrants from certain countries.

Impact on asylum seekers

Asylum seekers from venezuela, honduras, and nicaragua now face only a small chance of having their applications approved.

Due process concerns

Veteran immigration lawyers say the system is losing its integrity with judges lacking expertise and rule changes that threaten due process.

Trump administration changes

Since trump returned to office, a shake-up at immigration courts has put judges under pressure to deny asylum petitions.

New judges' impact

The new judges have granted only 25 asylum cases out of 1,638 since their appointments in january 2025, with a 1.5% approval rate.

Firing patterns

Women have been fired or terminated without cause since the trump administration began, while no male judges were terminated.

Judge Treacy's resignation

Judge elizabeth treacy resigned in june 2026 after being overwhelmed with cases and rule changes.

Asylum eligibility changes

Cases that were eligible for asylum three years ago are no longer eligible due to updated rules from the board of immigration appeals.

System under threat

The chicago immigration court system faces a crisis with judges lacking expertise, rule changes, and firings threatening due process for immigrants.