Why Immigration Backlogs are Crushing Families in 2025

Many families come to the United States with the hope of establishing a home and building a life. But in 2025, the immigration backlog has made this much harder. Families are waiting years for answers on their green card applications. These USCIS delays leave them in limbo, unsure about their future. What Is an Immigration Backlog? An immigration backlog happens when the government gets more applications than it can handle on time. Every year, people apply for different immigration benefits, like green cards, work permits, visas, and protection from deportation. The immigration system started breaking down many years ago. Policy shifts and resource constraints gradually stalled case processing. This has caused a huge pile of unfinished work. A report in June 2025 showed that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had 11.3 million pending cases, the highest number ever recorded. Four main agencies handle most U.S. immigration work: USCIS: Manages family and job petitions,...