Abdou Taleb Ali recently learned his asylum hearing may still be a year or two away in 2027 or 2028. He's been in the United States for more than 18 months, crossing the border illegally after fleeing his home in the African country of Mauritania, where he claims he was politically persecuted.

"I'm very relieved," he said after his September court hearing in New York. "Because, you know, I was about to lose everything right now. My case, the money that I paid them. Everything."

According to Syracuse University's immigration tracking data, there are more than 2 million active asylum cases waiting to be heard. A shortage of immigration judges and the Trump administration's prioritizing deportations have added to the backlog.

Ali acknowledges there are Americans who feel he shouldn

See Full Page