Hartford’s immigration court is moving cases through the system at an unprecedented pace, but with consequences for legal immigrants and asylum seekers. Hartford’s immigration court has hit a record removal rate in 2026, with judges issuing 2,858 removal orders from January 1 to June 1 — more than any prior five-month period. At the same time, a former Hartford immigration judge reports a backlog of 46,000 immigration cases in Hartford alone.
What changed
One of the original five judges regularly hearing cases in Hartford is still on the bench, but the court’s staffing has shifted dramatically. Former Hartford immigration judge Ted Doolittle was terminated from his position in September 2025 during a wave of immigration firings. Beyond judicial staffing, court staff have departed; court insiders report clerks and administrative staff “jumping ship as quickly as possible”.
On the administrative and processing side, EOIR has been dealing with the backlog by shortening time between court dates to just weeks, instead of the months Doolittle would give asylum seekers to prepare cases. Hartford is scheduling “mega” master calendar hearings involving 100 or more people at a time, which could result in higher removal rates if people do not show up to a court date.
Nationally, there were 587 immigration judges in the nation as of Q2 2026, compared to 634 in 2025 and 735 in 2024 — the last time there were fewer than 600 judges was in 2021.
Why it matters
For practitioners representing clients in Hartford, the compressed hearing calendar directly affects case preparation. Asylum cases often require “evidence from outside the country, evidence needing to be translated” — work that historically took months. Weeks-long turnarounds make gathering and organizing evidence logistically harder and increase the risk of in absentia orders if clients miss a rescheduled date. Nationally, in absentia orders have increased dramatically, averaging 26,174 monthly in 2026 — an increase of more than 7,500 compared to 2024.
Court observers believe the higher removal rate reflects federal changes under the Trump administration, with strategy focused on reducing case dockets and removing as many people as possible. If you are advising a client with a case in Hartford or planning a filing there, anticipate abbreviated discovery windows, larger courtroom loads, and judges with less experience reviewing your submissions.
Way forward
-
Communicate immediately with clients: Confirm their contact information on file with the court and verify they understand any new hearing dates within days of receipt of a notice to appear. Master calendar hearings can shift quickly.
-
Prepare affidavits and documents early: Do not rely on traditional months-long timelines for foreign document translation, police reports, or medical evidence. Begin gathering evidence immediately upon intake.
-
Monitor your docket closely: Log into EOIR’s online case management system regularly or request EOIR status updates via email at Hartford.Immigration.Court@usdoj.gov to catch any scheduling changes before your client learns of them secondhand.
-
Consider continuance motions: If your client’s case is scheduled in Hartford and you lack sufficient time to gather evidence or retain an expert, file a motion to continue early, citing workload and the compressed timeline. Document the basis.
Disclaimer
This article is provided for educational purposes and is not legal advice. Immigration law and court procedures are complex and vary case by case. Consult a licensed immigration attorney in your jurisdiction before taking any action. This summary reflects publicly available information current as of the publication date, but policies and procedures can change without notice. Verify all details against the primary source and current EOIR guidance.