Asylum Backlog Leads to Detention of Rochester Tech Worker

Immigration officials detained German Machado, a Venezuelan asylum seeker whose family has waited more than a decade for a ruling.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Immigration

Asylum Backlog Leads to Detention of Rochester Tech Worker

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Immigration officials detained German Machado, a Venezuelan asylum seeker and IT technician at SUNY Brockport, after the Department of Homeland Security said he overstayed an authorized stay that ended in February 2017. His family says he has work authorization and that his wife's 2016 asylum application included him.

Why it matters

The case highlights a backlog in which about 2.2 million asylum cases are pending before immigration courts and about 1.4 million applications are pending before USCIS. Recent procedures allowing some applications to be denied without a full hearing are part of a sharp rise in denials.

Asylum denial rates have risen to 94%, compared with about 45% in 2023, according to TRAC data. Roughly 2.2 million asylum cases sit before immigration courts and 1.4 million applications await USCIS action.

The players

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

The federal department that oversees immigration enforcement, including the agencies that detain and remove noncitizens.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

The USCIS agency that adjudicates asylum applications and has been managing a large pending caseload.

The details

Machado's family fled Venezuela in 2016 and has waited more than 10 years for an asylum decision. Immigration judges can now deny some applications without a full hearing if they judge an application incomplete or unable to succeed, and courts often reject mandamus requests seeking faster interviews.

2016: Machado's family flees Venezuela and his wife files an asylum application that includes him.
February 2017: Machado's authorized stay ends, according to DHS.
Roughly 2021 to 2025: Arrivals at the southern border increase, straining USCIS resources.
Within the last two years: New procedures allowing some asylum denials without hearings take effect.

Political Context

The sharp rise in denials tracked by TRAC since 2023 marks a departure from earlier adjudication patterns. Critics of the new procedures argue that denying applications without hearings limits due process for applicants waiting more than a decade.

Asylum applicants in Rochester and elsewhere may face multi-year waits and the possibility of denial without a full hearing. Families with pending cases should track their filing status and confirm the validity of any work authorization.

The takeaway

Long asylum waits can leave families in legal limbo even when they have work authorization and pending claims. Applicants should keep records of every filing, the dates of prior status, and any work permits, since procedural changes can shift outcomes quickly.