Florida is one of the most immigration-diverse states in the nation. With approximately 4.6 million foreign-born residents, roughly 21% of the state’s population, Florida has the third-largest immigrant population in the country after California and Texas.
The composition is unmatched. South Florida is home to the largest Cuban American community in the United States, the largest Haitian American community outside New York, and major communities from Colombia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras, Brazil, and Jamaica. Central Florida, around Orlando, has a large Puerto Rican and Dominican community. Miami-Dade County alone ranks as the county with the most residents holding pending immigration court deportation cases in the country as of February 2026.
Florida’s landscape is also shaped by state policy. Florida has enacted some of the most aggressive state-level immigration enforcement laws in the country, including Senate Bill 1718 (2023), which expanded E-Verify requirements, criminalized transporting undocumented immigrants across state lines, required hospitals to ask about immigration status, and eliminated certain in-state tuition access.
In this environment, an experienced immigration lawyer is not a luxury.
Aftalion Law Group represents Florida clients throughout Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Hialeah, Tallahassee, St. Petersburg, Pembroke Pines, Cape Coral, and every city and county in the state.
Florida’s immigrant workforce spans international trade and finance in Miami, tourism and hospitality across Orlando and the coasts, agriculture in the interior and the southern counties, construction across every metro, and healthcare statewide.
Florida holds among the largest Temporary Protected Status eligible populations in the country, with Venezuelans, Haitians, Hondurans, Salvadorans, and Nicaraguans all having had active TPS designations. Because TPS designations are politically volatile and subject to termination and litigation, the single most valuable thing a Florida TPS holder can do is understand what their pathway looks like if the designation ends.
Florida is served by multiple immigration courts that collectively face the most severe backlog in the United States. As of early 2026, Miami’s immigration court holds the largest case backlog of any court in the nation, with approximately 317,000 pending cases, nearly 10% of the entire national backlog. Orlando ranks third nationally with approximately 227,000 pending cases. Florida’s total backlog exceeds 494,000 cases.
Miami has approximately 158,000 pending asylum cases; Orlando has approximately 108,000. Miami’s court operates with only about 32 immigration judges handling over 317,000 cases. Wait times for hearing dates in both Miami and Orlando are now routinely three to four years from initial filing.
Appeals from Florida courts go to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), and further appeal goes to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Address: One Riverview Square, 333 S. Miami Avenue, Suite 700, Miami, FL 33130
According to TRAC Immigration data from Syracuse University covering fiscal years 2020 through the first eleven months of 2025, judges at the Miami court denied asylum 79.3% of the time. The national average over the same period was 58.9%. Miami is more than 20 points harsher than the country as a whole.
Judge | Decisions (FY 2020-2025) | Asylum Denial Rate | What This Means for Case Prep |
Ubarri, Maria | 177 | 47.5% | Most favorable on the Miami bench by a wide margin; strong documentation can prevail |
Burgess, Abraham L. | 761 | 71.2% | High volume, below the court average; demands thorough corroboration |
Lerner, Romy | 235 | 73.6% | Near the court midpoint; credibility determinations are frequent |
Alexander, Scott G. | 607 | 78.3% | At the court average; expects complete, organized filings |
Horn, Michael C. | 244 | 81.1% | Above average denial; requires expert declarations |
Khanna, Rohit | 199 | 82.4% | High denial; aggressive evidentiary preparation essential |
Rivera, Jose | 772 | 83.9% | High volume and high denial; strict on deadlines and completeness |
Herman, Lakshmi | 342 | 84.5% | Among the harshest; exceptional evidence required |
Garcia, Madeline | See TRAC | 85.8% | Highest of the judges reviewed here; near-total denial |
Miami has roughly 32 judges. Full data at the TRAC Immigration Judge Reports page.
The spread here is worth reading carefully. Unlike San Francisco or Philadelphia, where a favorable draw is a real possibility, Miami’s distribution is clustered at the top. Eight of the nine judges above deny more than 70% of asylum claims. A Miami asylum case has to be built for a hostile bench, because statistically, that is the bench.
Address: 3535 Lawton Road, Suite 200, Orlando, FL 32803
Orlando judges denied asylum 66.5% of the time over the same period. Harsh, but meaningfully less so than Miami, and with a wider spread.
Judge | Decisions (FY 2020-2025) | Asylum Denial Rate | What This Means for Case Prep |
Jamadar, Richard A. | 220 | 46.4% | Most favorable on the Orlando bench; well-documented cases can succeed |
Harris, Rodger C. | 139 | 56.1% | Below the court average; thorough preparation is rewarded |
Adams, Anna | 324 | 57.7% | Below court average; expects corroborating evidence beyond testimony |
Grim, James K. | 349 | 58.7% | At the national average; organized evidence packages matter |
Rojas, Raphael | 193 | 62.2% | Near the court midpoint |
Alberdi, Yon | 426 | 62.4% | High volume, near court midpoint; concise, complete filings |
Rosen, Benjamin | 192 | 69.3% | Above court average; demands detailed country conditions |
Burke, Brian | 119 | 86.6% | Highest denial at Orlando; exceptional evidence and flawless execution required |
Full data at the TRAC Immigration Judge Reports page.
Orlando’s docket is heavily Venezuelan and Colombian. Several Orlando judges see Venezuelan applicants as 20% to 33% of their caseload. That concentration cuts both ways: judges are familiar with the country conditions, which means a generic Venezuela filing will not impress anyone.
If you have a hearing scheduled in Miami or Orlando, call (424) 270-6767.
Florida has one of the largest immigration detention footprints in the country, and it has been rebuilt almost entirely in the last two years. ICE currently lists roughly eight Florida locations used as detention, field, or processing centers. The ones Florida arrestees most often encounter:
Krome North Service Processing Center (Miami) West of Miami. One of the oldest and highest-volume immigration detention facilities in the country.
Broward Transitional Center (Pompano Beach) Operated by the GEO Group. Serves South Florida.
Baker County Detention Center (Sanderson) Opened in August 2025 at the former Baker Correctional Institution and promoted by the state as the “Deportation Depot.” Capacity exceeds 1,300. Deportation flights depart directly from the facility. This is the primary North Florida destination.
Glades County Detention Center (Moore Haven) Operated at the Glades County Jail.
Federal Detention Center (Miami)
Flagler County Detention Facility (Bunnell) Operated at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
The Everglades Detention Facility at the Dade-Collier airstrip, widely known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” opened in July 2025 and was closed by the state in June 2026. Its roughly 1,400 detainees were transferred to facilities in South Florida, California, Arizona, Louisiana, and Texas. Attorneys and families reported that people disappeared from the system for about a week before anyone was told where they had gone.
That is the lesson worth carrying forward, because Florida’s detention map is still being redrawn and the state has signaled further expansion into the Panhandle. Facilities open, fill, and close on political timelines. Your family member’s location is not stable, and nobody is obligated to call you when it changes.
Detained cases in Florida operate on compressed timelines. Bond hearings can happen within days of booking. A case that would sit for three or four years on the non-detained Miami docket can produce a removal order in weeks if the person is in custody. Delay in seeking counsel is not recoverable.
Do not wait. Call Aftalion Law Group at (424) 270-6767 immediately. Our attorneys can locate your family member through the ICE Online Detainee Locator, track them through transfers, appear at their bond hearing, argue for their release, and build their defense while they are inside. You can also call the ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line at 1-888-351-4024.
No sanctuary protections, and active state enforcement. Florida has no sanctuary policy at any level. State law affirmatively supports and expands federal enforcement.
SB 1718 exposure. Florida’s 2023 law created new risks not just for immigrants but for employers, landlords, drivers, and anyone providing transportation or housing. The law expanded E-Verify requirements, criminalized transporting undocumented immigrants across state lines, and required hospitals to collect immigration status information. If you have been targeted under expanded state enforcement, that is a defensible position, but you need counsel.
Workplace enforcement. Agriculture, construction, hospitality, and food service across Florida are exposed to I-9 audits and worksite operations.
Driver’s licenses. Florida does not issue driver’s licenses to residents who cannot document lawful status. SB 1718 also invalidated certain out-of-state licenses issued to undocumented drivers, which means a license valid in another state may not be valid in Florida.
Hospitals. Under SB 1718, hospitals accepting Medicaid must ask patients about immigration status. Patients are not required to answer, and care cannot be denied for declining.
If ICE comes to your home or workplace, you have constitutional rights regardless of your immigration status. Read our full guide on what to do if ICE comes to your door.
If you or a loved one has been contacted by ICE, arrested, or received a Notice to Appear in Florida, call (424) 270-6767 now.
Florida is covered by two USCIS districts, and which one you fall under determines where you interview and where you take the oath.
Miami District serves Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, and Collier counties through four field offices: Miami, Hialeah, Kendall, and Oakland Park. Kendall covers southern Miami-Dade, Monroe, and southern Collier. Miami covers northeastern Miami-Dade. Oakland Park covers Broward. The district also administers Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Tampa District serves the rest of the state through the Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, and Fort Myers field offices. Tampa covers the west central counties including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, and Sarasota. Orlando covers Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake, Brevard, Volusia, Flagler, and Marion. Jacksonville covers North Florida and the Panhandle. West Palm Beach, physically located in Royal Palm Beach, covers Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Okeechobee, Highlands, Hendry, and Glades.
Confirm your assigned office and its current address by ZIP code at the USCIS Office Locator.
Field offices handle interviews and naturalization ceremonies. Application Support Centers handle biometrics only and do not conduct interviews or take walk-in questions. Florida has ASCs in Miami, North Miami Beach, Lauderdale Lakes, Orlando, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, and elsewhere. Your notice will tell you which type of office you are being sent to, and the two are not interchangeable.
Mail-in applications from Florida are processed by a USCIS Service Center or the National Benefits Center depending on form type. As of mid-2026, processing times for key applications are:
| Form | Purpose | Estimated Processing Time |
|---|---|---|
| I-130 | Family petition (spouse of U.S. citizen) | 11 to 17 months |
| I-130 | Family petition (other preference categories) | 15 to 26 months |
| I-485 | Adjustment of status | 10 to 26 months |
| N-400 | Naturalization / citizenship | 5 to 10 months |
| I-90 | Green card renewal | 18 to 24 months |
| I-751 | Removal of conditions | 18 to 30 months |
Processing times vary significantly by field office. Miami and Orlando volumes are among the highest in the country, and times at those offices routinely exceed national averages. Verify at the USCIS Processing Times page.
When delays exceed published processing times, a federal mandamus lawsuit can compel USCIS to act. Given Florida’s volumes, mandamus is a particularly relevant tool here. Aftalion Law Group files mandamus actions on behalf of Florida residents whose cases have stalled.
Aftalion Law Group provides comprehensive immigration services for individuals and families across Florida:
Florida’s priorities are shaped by its docket. Asylum is critical given the volume, the complexity, and Miami’s 79.3% denial rate. Removal defense is urgent statewide. Family-based immigration serves Florida’s enormous Cuban, Haitian, and Caribbean communities. TPS work covers Venezuelan, Haitian, Honduran, Salvadoran, and Nicaraguan populations, including planning for what happens if a designation ends. Employment-based immigration serves South Florida’s finance and international trade sectors. VAWA and U visa applications protect survivors across the state.
Florida has the most overloaded immigration court system in the country and one of the least forgiving. Two facts define practice here: your hearing may be four years away, and when it arrives, the statistical baseline in Miami is a denial.
Aftalion Law Group builds for both. Long waits are not dead time. They are the window to assemble country conditions evidence, secure expert declarations, maintain work authorization, document the equities that support cancellation of removal, and prepare testimony that will hold up under a skeptical judge. We understand the practical realities of the Miami and Orlando dockets, how to navigate rescheduling notices, and how judge assignment patterns should shape strategy from the first filing rather than the last month.
We advise individuals and families on how to protect themselves within SB 1718’s scope and represent clients targeted under expanded state enforcement. We handle initial TPS filings, renewals, and long-term planning for the TPS-to-green-card pathway where one exists. If your family member is detained at the Broward Transitional Center or Baker County, we act immediately, because compressed timelines mean a week of delay can decide the case.
We serve clients in English and Spanish.
No matter where you live in Florida, our attorneys are equipped to provide reliable legal support for your immigration matters.
If you live in Florida and need immigration help, whether for a family petition, an employment visa, a citizenship application, TPS, deportation defense, or a loved one in ICE detention, Aftalion Law Group is here to fight for you.
Schedule a free consultation with Aftalion Law Group immigration lawyers and contact us to discuss your case today.
Call (424) 270-6767 now for a free case evaluation.
The Miami Immigration Court at One Riverview Square, 333 S. Miami Avenue, Suite 700, Miami, FL 33130, and the Orlando Immigration Court at 3535 Lawton Road, Suite 200, Orlando, FL 32803. Florida also has detained dockets at facilities including the Broward Transitional Center and Baker County.
As of early 2026, Miami had approximately 317,000 pending cases, the largest backlog of any immigration court in the nation and nearly 10% of the entire national backlog, handled by roughly 32 judges. Hearing dates are routinely three to four years out.
TRAC data for fiscal years 2020 through 2025 shows Miami judges denying asylum 79.3% of the time, against a national average of 58.9%. Individual judges range from 47.5% to over 85%. This is why case preparation in Miami has to assume a hostile bench.
Yes. Florida has no sanctuary protections and has enacted state laws expanding immigration enforcement, including SB 1718 in 2023.
No. Florida does not issue driver’s licenses to residents who cannot document lawful status, and SB 1718 invalidated certain out-of-state licenses issued to undocumented drivers.
Under SB 1718, hospitals accepting Medicaid must ask about immigration status. You are not required to answer, and care cannot be denied for declining to answer.
