Trump administration fires more than a dozen immigration judges

The recent firing of more than a dozen immigration judges by the Trump administration has raised concerns about the impact on the already overwhelmed U.S. immigration court system. The move comes as President Donald Trump aims to reduce the federal workforce, leading to the abrupt dismissal of 13 judges who were set to be sworn in, as well as five assistant chief immigration judges.

This latest development follows the dismissal of two other judges earlier in the week, with no replacements announced as of yet. The firing of these judges has added to the mounting backlog of immigration cases, which has now surpassed three million pending cases. Immigration judges currently have an average of 4,500 cases each, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.

In addition to the judges, five top court officials were replaced by the Trump administration, including Mary Cheng, the agency’s acting director. The Department of Justice, which oversees the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), has also seen significant changes under the new administration.

In a memo released by Sirce Owen, acting director of the Department of Justice, it was noted that the Biden administration has “severely undermined” the core values of the EOIR. Efforts are underway to restore these values and re-establish the EOIR as a model administrative adjudicatory body.

The Trump administration has also instructed agencies to lay off most probationary workers without civil service protection, further adding to the uncertainty within the federal workforce. The International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, which represents federal employees, and the U.S. Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review have yet to respond to inquiries regarding these recent developments.

As the situation continues to unfold, it is clear that significant changes are taking place within the U.S. immigration court system. The impact of these firings on the backlog of cases and the overall efficiency of the court system remains to be seen. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.

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