WESLACO – A new quota for immigration judges has some judges and attorneys concerned.

Some are viewing it as an obstacle; others say it will help clear the backlog of more than 760,000 cases.  

The cases are piling up as thousands of people wait to find out if they’ll be allowed to stay in the U.S.

The government wants to reduce this backlog so judges were given a quota of a certain number of cases they must decide each year.

KRGV’s Valerie Gonzalez spoke with Kate Voigt with the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

“They're going to mean that judges will feel compelled to rush through cases, which threatens their ability to remain independent and impartial,” says Associate Director of Government Relations Kate Voigt.

The Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration issued this memo to judges:

"Using metrics to evaluate performance is neither novel nor unique to EOIR. The purpose of implementing these metrics is to encourage efficient and effective case management while preserving immigration judge discretion and due process."

Watch the video above for the full story.