Trump administration onboards largest-ever class of new immigration judges in bid to speed up deportation cases
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- The Trump administration onboarded over 80 new federal immigration judges, the largest class in the Justice Department's history, aiming to expedite deportation cases and strengthen immigration enforcement.
- This move follows a purge of more than 100 immigration judges, many appointed under the Biden administration, as the Justice Department seeks to rebuild its immigration judge corps closer to 700 members.
- Most new judges previously worked as ICE lawyers, prosecutors, military officers, or judges, reflecting the administration's focus on hiring personnel aligned with its immigration enforcement goals.
- Critics, including the American Immigration Lawyers Association, argue the administration is compromising the impartiality of immigration courts by treating judges as "deportation judges" rather than neutral adjudicators.
- The Justice Department reported a reduction in the immigration court backlog from 4 million to 3.5 million cases since January 2025, amid a surge in asylum requests and prolonged case processing times.