The number of cases dismissed in immigration courts in the United States is increasing.

(CNN Spanish) — At least 47,300 cases were dismissed in US immigration courts in the first nine months of the current fiscal year because the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not send required notices to courts. According to a report released this Friday Syracuse University’s Transaction Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) is a think tank that tracks data from these courts.

According to the report, one in six new cases in the country – on average – were dismissed for that reason between October 2021 and June 2022, which equates to 16.6%. In the previous financial year, 15,244 cases were dismissed, which is 10.5%.

CNN has not independently verified the data underlying the TRAC report, which it said was obtained from FOIA requests.

DHS did not respond Friday to a request for comment sent by CNN. We have not heard back from Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

According to the TRAC report, the problem arises when Border Patrol agents, part of the Department of Homeland Security, issue Notices to Appear (NTAs), which are documents that contain instructions for people to appear before an immigration judge, indicating the beginning. Your removal actions.

According to the report, officials are using a digital tool that allows them to create the NTA and – allegedly – schedule a court date at the same time, they must ensure courts have that information so “agents who schedule new cases and hearings through the system” and “others responsible for sending a copy to the court” severe disconnection between persons”.

“It’s a huge waste of court time. It’s a problem if the immigrant (and possibly their lawyer) shows up at the hearing and the judge dismisses the case because the documents aren’t filed with the court,” he says. Report.

While TRAC said it could not identify specific locations where failures to send documents to courts occur, it pointed out that immigration courts such as Miami have 81% of cases in the current fiscal year. Dismissed for that reason, in others – such as San Francisco – the number of cases was lower and reached 11%.