{
 "_meta": {
  "built_on": "2026-07-22",
  "source": "Computed by MigrantUSA by joining two federal EOIR datasets",
  "courts_source": "US Department of Justice, EOIR immigration court directory",
  "courts_source_url": "https://www.justice.gov/eoir/find-immigration-court-and-access-internet-based-hearings",
  "orgs_source": "US Department of Justice, EOIR Recognized Organizations and Accredited Representatives roster",
  "orgs_source_url": "https://www.justice.gov/eoir/recognition-accreditation-roster-reports",
  "courts_as_of": "2026-05-26",
  "orgs_as_of": "2026-04-20",
  "method": "For each state that hosts at least one EOIR immigration court, the count of DOJ-recognized nonprofit legal-aid organisations located in that state (from EOIR's own by-state roster index) is divided by the number of immigration courts in the state. Judges are counted from the named judge rows in each court's hearing-access table. 'Recognized organization' is a narrow EOIR program -- nonprofits authorized to employ accredited non-attorney representatives -- and does NOT include private attorneys, law-school clinics, or bar pro-bono panels; a low count means few of this specific free/low-cost channel, not an absence of all legal help. Representation is not bound by state line (hearings are often by Webex), so the ratio is a local-access signal, not a capacity verdict. The District of Columbia has zero recognized orgs and zero courts, so it is excluded."
 },
 "summary": {
  "total_courts": 74,
  "total_judges": 714,
  "total_recognized_orgs": 1256,
  "states_with_court": 31,
  "national_orgs_per_court": 17.0,
  "worst": {
   "state": "Louisiana",
   "abbr": "LA",
   "courts": 4,
   "judges": 20,
   "recognized_orgs": 6,
   "orgs_per_court": 1.5
  },
  "best": {
   "state": "Illinois",
   "abbr": "IL",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 20,
   "recognized_orgs": 63,
   "orgs_per_court": 63.0
  },
  "spread_ratio": 42,
  "zero_org_court_jurisdictions": [
   {
    "state": "Northern Mariana Islands",
    "abbr": "MP",
    "courts": 1,
    "judges": 1
   },
   {
    "state": "Puerto Rico",
    "abbr": "PR",
    "courts": 1,
    "judges": 4
   }
  ],
  "worst5": [
   {
    "state": "Louisiana",
    "abbr": "LA",
    "courts": 4,
    "judges": 20,
    "recognized_orgs": 6,
    "orgs_per_court": 1.5
   },
   {
    "state": "Arizona",
    "abbr": "AZ",
    "courts": 4,
    "judges": 23,
    "recognized_orgs": 18,
    "orgs_per_court": 4.5
   },
   {
    "state": "Hawaii",
    "abbr": "HI",
    "courts": 1,
    "judges": 3,
    "recognized_orgs": 5,
    "orgs_per_court": 5.0
   },
   {
    "state": "Georgia",
    "abbr": "GA",
    "courts": 3,
    "judges": 26,
    "recognized_orgs": 16,
    "orgs_per_court": 5.3
   },
   {
    "state": "Texas",
    "abbr": "TX",
    "courts": 12,
    "judges": 141,
    "recognized_orgs": 78,
    "orgs_per_court": 6.5
   }
  ],
  "best5": [
   {
    "state": "Illinois",
    "abbr": "IL",
    "courts": 1,
    "judges": 20,
    "recognized_orgs": 63,
    "orgs_per_court": 63.0
   },
   {
    "state": "North Carolina",
    "abbr": "NC",
    "courts": 1,
    "judges": 9,
    "recognized_orgs": 44,
    "orgs_per_court": 44.0
   },
   {
    "state": "Pennsylvania",
    "abbr": "PA",
    "courts": 1,
    "judges": 14,
    "recognized_orgs": 30,
    "orgs_per_court": 30.0
   },
   {
    "state": "Washington",
    "abbr": "WA",
    "courts": 2,
    "judges": 16,
    "recognized_orgs": 56,
    "orgs_per_court": 28.0
   },
   {
    "state": "Michigan",
    "abbr": "MI",
    "courts": 1,
    "judges": 8,
    "recognized_orgs": 26,
    "orgs_per_court": 26.0
   }
  ]
 },
 "jurisdictions": [
  {
   "state": "Northern Mariana Islands",
   "abbr": "MP",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 1,
   "recognized_orgs": 0,
   "orgs_per_court": 0.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 0.0
  },
  {
   "state": "Puerto Rico",
   "abbr": "PR",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 4,
   "recognized_orgs": 0,
   "orgs_per_court": 0.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 0.0
  },
  {
   "state": "Louisiana",
   "abbr": "LA",
   "courts": 4,
   "judges": 20,
   "recognized_orgs": 6,
   "orgs_per_court": 1.5,
   "orgs_per_judge": 0.3
  },
  {
   "state": "Arizona",
   "abbr": "AZ",
   "courts": 4,
   "judges": 23,
   "recognized_orgs": 18,
   "orgs_per_court": 4.5,
   "orgs_per_judge": 0.78
  },
  {
   "state": "Hawaii",
   "abbr": "HI",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 3,
   "recognized_orgs": 5,
   "orgs_per_court": 5.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 1.67
  },
  {
   "state": "Georgia",
   "abbr": "GA",
   "courts": 3,
   "judges": 26,
   "recognized_orgs": 16,
   "orgs_per_court": 5.3,
   "orgs_per_judge": 0.62
  },
  {
   "state": "Texas",
   "abbr": "TX",
   "courts": 12,
   "judges": 141,
   "recognized_orgs": 78,
   "orgs_per_court": 6.5,
   "orgs_per_judge": 0.55
  },
  {
   "state": "Nevada",
   "abbr": "NV",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 4,
   "recognized_orgs": 7,
   "orgs_per_court": 7.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 1.75
  },
  {
   "state": "Tennessee",
   "abbr": "TN",
   "courts": 2,
   "judges": 20,
   "recognized_orgs": 14,
   "orgs_per_court": 7.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 0.7
  },
  {
   "state": "Utah",
   "abbr": "UT",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 6,
   "recognized_orgs": 8,
   "orgs_per_court": 8.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 1.33
  },
  {
   "state": "Missouri",
   "abbr": "MO",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 9,
   "recognized_orgs": 9,
   "orgs_per_court": 9.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 1.0
  },
  {
   "state": "Colorado",
   "abbr": "CO",
   "courts": 2,
   "judges": 18,
   "recognized_orgs": 25,
   "orgs_per_court": 12.5,
   "orgs_per_judge": 1.39
  },
  {
   "state": "Virginia",
   "abbr": "VA",
   "courts": 2,
   "judges": 41,
   "recognized_orgs": 25,
   "orgs_per_court": 12.5,
   "orgs_per_judge": 0.61
  },
  {
   "state": "New Mexico",
   "abbr": "NM",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 4,
   "recognized_orgs": 13,
   "orgs_per_court": 13.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 3.25
  },
  {
   "state": "Maryland",
   "abbr": "MD",
   "courts": 2,
   "judges": 28,
   "recognized_orgs": 28,
   "orgs_per_court": 14.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 1.0
  },
  {
   "state": "New Jersey",
   "abbr": "NJ",
   "courts": 2,
   "judges": 16,
   "recognized_orgs": 29,
   "orgs_per_court": 14.5,
   "orgs_per_judge": 1.81
  },
  {
   "state": "Indiana",
   "abbr": "IN",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 8,
   "recognized_orgs": 15,
   "orgs_per_court": 15.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 1.88
  },
  {
   "state": "Connecticut",
   "abbr": "CT",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 5,
   "recognized_orgs": 16,
   "orgs_per_court": 16.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 3.2
  },
  {
   "state": "Minnesota",
   "abbr": "MN",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 7,
   "recognized_orgs": 17,
   "orgs_per_court": 17.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 2.43
  },
  {
   "state": "Ohio",
   "abbr": "OH",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 15,
   "recognized_orgs": 19,
   "orgs_per_court": 19.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 1.27
  },
  {
   "state": "Nebraska",
   "abbr": "NE",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 8,
   "recognized_orgs": 20,
   "orgs_per_court": 20.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 2.5
  },
  {
   "state": "Oregon",
   "abbr": "OR",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 5,
   "recognized_orgs": 21,
   "orgs_per_court": 21.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 4.2
  },
  {
   "state": "New York",
   "abbr": "NY",
   "courts": 6,
   "judges": 66,
   "recognized_orgs": 137,
   "orgs_per_court": 22.8,
   "orgs_per_judge": 2.08
  },
  {
   "state": "Massachusetts",
   "abbr": "MA",
   "courts": 2,
   "judges": 18,
   "recognized_orgs": 46,
   "orgs_per_court": 23.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 2.56
  },
  {
   "state": "California",
   "abbr": "CA",
   "courts": 11,
   "judges": 92,
   "recognized_orgs": 273,
   "orgs_per_court": 24.8,
   "orgs_per_judge": 2.97
  },
  {
   "state": "Florida",
   "abbr": "FL",
   "courts": 3,
   "judges": 59,
   "recognized_orgs": 76,
   "orgs_per_court": 25.3,
   "orgs_per_judge": 1.29
  },
  {
   "state": "Michigan",
   "abbr": "MI",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 8,
   "recognized_orgs": 26,
   "orgs_per_court": 26.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 3.25
  },
  {
   "state": "Washington",
   "abbr": "WA",
   "courts": 2,
   "judges": 16,
   "recognized_orgs": 56,
   "orgs_per_court": 28.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 3.5
  },
  {
   "state": "Pennsylvania",
   "abbr": "PA",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 14,
   "recognized_orgs": 30,
   "orgs_per_court": 30.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 2.14
  },
  {
   "state": "North Carolina",
   "abbr": "NC",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 9,
   "recognized_orgs": 44,
   "orgs_per_court": 44.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 4.89
  },
  {
   "state": "Illinois",
   "abbr": "IL",
   "courts": 1,
   "judges": 20,
   "recognized_orgs": 63,
   "orgs_per_court": 63.0,
   "orgs_per_judge": 3.15
  }
 ]
}