The government shutdown is having a 'devastating impact' on an already backlogged immigration system
Get the Full StoryAssociated Press Ramon EspinosaThe ongoing government shutdown has had a "devastating impact" on the immigration system, resulting in more than 42,000 court hearings being cancelled over the last four weeks.
Federal judges say these canceled hearings will take years to reschedule. America's asylum system is already backlogged by more than 800,000 cases.
If the shutdown continues through the end of January, more than 100,000 cases will have to be rescheduled, according to Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.
The government shutdown sparked by a dispute over border-wall funding reached its 25th day on Tuesday, leaving a massive and rapidly growing backlog in the court system that determines whether immigrants can stay in the United States or face deportation.
An estimated 380,000 federal employees are furloughed, meaning they are barred from going to work and are not receiving paychecks during the shutdown. The furloughed employees include the roughly 400 immigration judges across the country who are permitted to hear cases only for immigrants held in detention centers, which the government deems most urgent.See the rest of the story at Business InsiderNOW WATCH: MSNBC host Chris Hayes thinks President Trump's stance on China is 'not at all crazy'See Also:The government shutdown is in day 25 and has set the record for the longest shutdown in historyFrom airport lines to food inspections, here are all the ways the government shutdown is impacting the lives of average AmericansThe government shutdown could cause a disaster for the US economy if Trump follows through on his threat to continue the fight for 'months'
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