Ask a Houston family who immigrated legally how long it took, and you'll hear a number in years, sometimes decades. They filled out every form, paid every fee and waited their turn. They deserve an immigration system that works for people who follow the rules, and one that is serious about people who come here to hurt others.
The immigration court backlog: 3.1 million cases, 940 days
Harris County is home to about 1.35 million foreign-born residents, 26.8% of the county. Many of them, and their relatives, are somewhere in a system that has stopped moving.
The legal immigration system, 2026
- Cases pending in immigration court (Aug 2026): 3,092,988 (TRAC)
- Average wait for a pending case (July 2026): 940 days, up 71% in two years (TRAC)
- Texas: time from charge to removal order: 915 days (TRAC)
- Skilled workers waiting for employment green cards: about 1.26 million (NFAP via Cato)
- Approved petitions waiting for a visa number: 642,226 (American Immigration Council)
- Estimated wait for an Indian engineer filing EB-2 today: potentially 179 years (NFAP via Cato)
- U.S. employers using E-Verify: about 14% (Migration Policy Institute)
A case that takes almost three years to decide fails everyone: the asylum seeker with a real claim, the family waiting to know, and the neighborhood where someone with a criminal record stays for years before a judge ever sees them.
The green card backlog punishes the people we most want to keep
Houston's hospitals, refineries and engineering firms depend on doctors and engineers who came on temporary visas and applied for permanent residency. Because of per-country caps written in 1990, an engineer born in India who files today faces a wait the government's own numbers can't finish in a lifetime.
Secure the border: start with the cartels
Alexander's public safety plan (https://www.halefortexas.com/priorities/safety) treats the cartels as what they are. Houston sits on their Gulf Coast logistics routes for fentanyl, guns and people. He would expand FBI and DEA task forces across the metro and use the 2025 Foreign Terrorist Organization designations to go after their money and supply chains.
Where Rep. Fletcher stands
Rep. Fletcher's record on enforcement against criminals is clear in the House roll calls:
- H.R. 7343 (May 15, 2024): Detain non-citizens charged with assaulting police. Fletcher voted no; 54 Democrats voted yes. Roll Call 204: https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2024/roll204
- H.R. 7392 (Feb 5, 2026): Bars federal money for hiring any new ICE personnel; her office calls it the “Freeze ICE Act.” Fletcher introduced it. Bill text: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr7392ih/html/BILLS-119hr7392ih.htm
- H.R. 1958, Deporting Fraudsters Act (Mar 18, 2026): Fletcher voted no. Roll Call 94: https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2026/roll094
- S. 2, Secure America Act (June 9, 2026): About $70 billion for border security and enforcement, now law. It passed 214–212; Fletcher voted no. Roll Call 214: https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2026/roll214
- H.R. 10040 (Aug 3, 2026): Stops TSA from sharing traveler data with ICE. Fletcher is a cosponsor. Bill text: https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/BILLS-119hr10040ih
Alexander Hale's plan for legal immigration reform
Alexander's position is simple: enforce the laws already on the books, accountably, and fix the legal system Congress has neglected for decades. In his words, “Enforcement and legal immigration are partners, not opposites.”
Enforce the law, accountably. Fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection, enforce laws like the Laken Riley Act, and size detention capacity to the caseload so bed shortages don't decide who is released. Go after criminals, cartel networks and national-security threats first. Hold agencies to professional standards, including body cameras on agents, and honor “the due process our Constitution guarantees to all persons.” He opposes any effort to defund or freeze ICE or CBP.
Secure the border. Finish the wall where it makes strategic sense, fund Border Patrol and surveillance technology, and end catch-and-release.
Clear the court backlog. Decide cases in months, not years, so the system can tell an asylum seeker from a cartel member.
Move legal immigration to merit. In fiscal 2023, 64% of new green cards went through family-based categories and 17% through employment (DHS: https://ohss.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2024-09/2024_0906_plcy_lawful_permanent_residents_fy2023.pdf). Alexander would flip that ratio. He would narrow H-1B visas to genuinely specialized roles, select by wage and skill instead of by lottery, and let graduates of U.S. STEM and medical programs stay and work here.
Sanctuary cities. He supports withholding federal funds from jurisdictions that won't honor immigration detainers, with protections for crime victims and witnesses who come forward.
Frequently asked questions
What is legal immigration reform? Changes to the system that admits immigrants legally: how many green cards, who gets them, how long it takes, and how quickly immigration courts decide cases.
How big is the immigration court backlog? 3,092,988 pending cases as of August 2026, with an average wait of 940 days.
How long is the green card backlog? About 1.26 million people are waiting in the main employment categories. For applicants born in India, estimated waits run from decades to more than a century because of per-country caps.
Is E-Verify required in Texas? Only for state agencies and certain businesses. A 2025 bill to require it for private employers passed the Texas Senate but died in the House.
What has Congress done to secure the border in 2026? The Secure America Act, signed June 10, 2026, provides about $70 billion through 2029 for border security and enforcement. It passed the House 214 to 212; Rep. Fletcher voted no.
What is a merit-based immigration system? One that awards more green cards by skills, education and job offers. In fiscal 2023, 64% of U.S. green cards went through family-based categories and 17% through employment.
Where does Alexander Hale stand on immigration? Enforce existing laws accountably, secure the border, clear the court backlog, and move legal immigration toward merit. “Enforcement and legal immigration are partners, not opposites.”
The people who waited in line deserve a system that works
Early voting runs through October 30, and Election Day is November 3. Vote at any site in your county; find one at https://www.harrisvotes.com (Harris) or https://www.fortbendvotes.org (Fort Bend). Or read Alexander's public safety plan (https://www.halefortexas.com/priorities/safety).
Sources
- TRAC, immigration court quick facts: https://tracreports.org/immigration/quickfacts/eoir.html
- TRAC, wait-time report (Sept 2026): https://tracreports.org/reports/780/
- Cato / Stuart Anderson, employment-based backlog exceeds 1.2 million (Sept 2026): https://cato.org/commentary/employment-based-immigration-backlog-exceeds-12-million-people
- American Immigration Council, USCIS employment-based immigration (Aug 2026): https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/report/uscis-employment-based-immigration/
- Migration Policy Institute, E-Verify use (Nov 2025): https://www.migrationpolicy.org/journal/policy-beat/employment-verification-next-front-us-immigration-enforcement
- Texas Tribune, E-Verify requirements (June 2025): https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/05/texas-e-verify-requirements-immigration/
- U.S. Census QuickFacts, Harris County: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/harriscountytexas
- Department of Homeland Security, Lawful Permanent Residents FY2023: https://ohss.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2024-09/2024_0906_plcy_lawful_permanent_residents_fy2023.pdf
- House Clerk, Roll Call 204 (2024): https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2024/roll204
- House Clerk, Roll Call 94 (2026): https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2026/roll094
- House Clerk, Roll Call 214 (2026): https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2026/roll214
- govinfo, H.R. 7392: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr7392ih/html/BILLS-119hr7392ih.htm
- govinfo, H.R. 10040: https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/BILLS-119hr10040ih
- Ballotpedia News, Secure America Act signed (June 2026): https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/06/13/trump-signs-the-secure-america-act-into-law/