WASHINGTON, DC – A new analysis reveals that Florida has the worst legal representation gap in the nation for Iranian immigrants facing deportation. During the 2025-2026 period, more than two-thirds of such cases in the state moved forward without an attorney, a rate that dwarfs every other state in the country.
An Alarming Gap in Legal Access
When Iranian immigrants appear before Florida’s immigration courts, the odds are stacked heavily against them, not just legally, but practically. According to research published by The Mendoza Law Firm, roughly 68% of Iranian deportation proceedings in Florida during 2025 and 2026 involved individuals who had no legal counsel. Of the 22 total cases filed in the state, only 7 were represented by an attorney, leaving 15 individuals to navigate the complex deportation process alone.
That figure places Florida at the top of a troubling national ranking, more than 21 percentage points ahead of Texas, the next closest state, which recorded a 46.72% unrepresentation rate. The stakes are particularly high for this population given Iran’s ongoing political instability, making deportation outcomes potentially life-altering.
Florida vs. the Rest of the Nation
The contrast between Florida and other states is striking, especially when population size is factored in. California, which is home to nearly 224,000 Iranian residents and had 553 deportation filings during the same period, managed an unrepresentation rate of just over 20%. Florida, by comparison, has an Iranian population of roughly 17,000 and yet produced a far worse outcome in terms of legal access.
The table below illustrates how Florida compares to other states with notable Iranian deportation caseloads:
| State | Total Cases | Cases Without Counsel | Unrepresentation Rate |
| Florida | 22 | 15 | 68.18% |
| Texas | 274 | 128 | 46.72% |
| New Mexico | 28 | 13 | 46.43% |
| Illinois | 12 | 5 | 41.67% |
| Louisiana | 115 | 46 | 40.00% |
| New York | 20 | 8 | 40.00% |
| Georgia | 22 | 7 | 31.82% |
| California | 553 | 114 | 20.61% |
Florida’s rate exceeds Georgia, a southern state with an identical total caseload, by more than 36 percentage points, and surpasses Oregon, the best-performing qualifying state, by over 48 points.
Not a Volume Problem, A Systemic One
One of the more revealing findings in this data is that a high caseload does not necessarily translate to worse legal outcomes. States managing hundreds of Iranian deportation cases still achieve far better representation rates than Florida, which handled fewer than two dozen. This suggests the issue in Florida is not one of overwhelmed courts or limited capacity, but rather something more systemic, whether that reflects barriers to accessing immigration attorneys, lack of community resources, or gaps in outreach.
Methodology
The Florida-focused study was drawn from the same dataset used in the national study by The Mendoza Law Firm. Deportation case filings involving Iranian immigrants in Florida were extracted from the TRAC Immigration database (tracreports.org), covering the period 2025-2026. The non-representation rate was calculated by dividing unrepresented Florida cases by total Florida Iranian deportation filings. Only states with 10 or more total filings were included in the national ranking. Florida’s Iranian population figure of 17,070 is sourced from World Population Review (2024).
The research datasheet is available at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ba5_h5J-10qWImkC7g_6hVbC1CKDcMhF4GmWadx2Gzs.
Data Sources
Proceedings Filed in Immigration Court:
https://tracreports.org/phptools/immigration/ntanew/
Iranian Population 2024:
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/iranian-population-by-state
Research Datasheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ba5_h5J-10qWImkC7g_6hVbC1CKDcMhF4GmWadx2Gzs/edit?gid=0#gid=0
Study By:
https://mendozafirm.com
About The Mendoza Law Firm
The Mendoza Law Firm provides legal services in immigration law, personal injury and international professional recruitment for U.S. companies seeking qualified professionals from abroad. The firm advocates for immigrant communities through legal representation and public education initiatives.
