Utah Immigration Court Faces Backlog Concerns with New ICE Detention Center

Local attorneys warn the facility could strain the state's limited judicial resources.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 2:09am

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According to immigration attorney Jonathan Shaw, Utah's immigration court system could face greater pressure with the new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in the state. Utah's immigration court currently has a backlog of 48,753 pending cases with an average wait time of about 743 days, and some hearings are being scheduled as far out as 2029. Shaw believes the new ICE detention center, especially a proposed 'mega center' of 7,000-10,000 people or even a 1,500-person 'regional center', could intensify these delays due to the state's limited judicial resources, with only two full-time immigration judges and one temporary judge currently.

Why it matters

The new ICE detention facility in Utah could have significant implications for the state's already overburdened immigration court system. The added caseload from detainees could further exacerbate the backlog of pending cases and lengthen wait times for hearings, potentially slowing efforts to secure timely releases for individuals who were wrongfully detained.

The details

According to Shaw, Utah's immigration court would be responsible for handling the cases of detainees housed in the new ICE facility, even if they are from out of state. The concern is that the state's limited judicial resources, with only two full-time immigration judges and one temporary judge, would be insufficient to handle the potential surge in cases. Shaw estimates that Utah would need eight to 10 immigration judges to adequately manage the current backlog and the additional caseload from the detention center.

  • Utah's immigration court currently has a backlog of 48,753 pending cases, with an average wait time of about 743 days.
  • Some hearings are being scheduled as far out as 2029.

The players

Jonathan Shaw

An immigration attorney at Intermountain Immigration who has expressed concerns about the impact of the new ICE detention facility on Utah's immigration court system.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The federal agency that is planning to open a new detention facility in Utah, which could strain the state's immigration court resources.

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What they’re saying

“I think they would need eight to 10 immigration judges in Utah to handle the load on the dockets that we already have, plus the load on the detained docket.”

— Jonathan Shaw, Immigration Attorney

“Federal judges who rarely would see a habeas corpus claim in years past suddenly have stacks and stacks of those files on their desk. It just seems like sometimes that pressure on immigrants is almost intended as a way to... push people to self-deport.”

— Jonathan Shaw, Immigration Attorney

What’s next

The capacity and specific plans for the new ICE detention facility in Utah have not been disclosed, so the full impact on the state's immigration court system remains uncertain. However, local immigration attorneys are closely monitoring the situation and advocating for increased judicial resources to handle the potential surge in cases.

The takeaway

The proposed ICE detention center in Utah could exacerbate the already significant backlog in the state's immigration court system, potentially leading to longer wait times for hearings and slowing efforts to secure timely releases for individuals who were wrongfully detained. This highlights the need for the state to allocate more resources to its immigration court system to ensure fair and efficient processing of cases.