The U.S. Justice Department dismissed several immigration judges on Friday, according to an NBC News report. One of the judges confirmed the development on LinkedIn.
The move adds strain to an already overwhelmed immigration system as the Trump administration continues its efforts to reshape the federal workforce, the report stated. The dismissals were ordered by the acting director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the agency overseeing immigration courts.
According to the union representing immigration judges, over two dozen judges, managers, and newly appointed hires have been terminated since the Trump administration began. On Friday alone, five midlevel assistant chief immigration judges and 13 candidates for new judicial positions were dismissed, according to the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE).
IFPTE President Matt Biggs criticized the decision, saying, “You have a president who campaigned on immigration and the removal of individuals from the country, yet he is firing the very judges responsible for hearing these cases. It makes no sense; it’s puzzling.”
Since Donald Trump’s inauguration, the administration has removed at least four senior managers and one additional senior official within the EOIR, the union stated.
Politically Motivated Firings?
Kerry Doyle, a recently appointed immigration judge, revealed on LinkedIn that she and other judges appointed by former President Joe Biden received termination notices via email on Friday. Doyle, who had previously served as the deputy general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security during Biden’s presidency, suggested the firings were politically motivated, as the affected judges had been appointed under the Biden administration.
Strained Immigration System
The removal of these judges could worsen the already severe backlog of immigration cases. The Congressional Research Service reported that the backlog reached record levels over the past three years.
In 2024 alone, over 1.8 million new cases were filed following unprecedented enforcement encounters at the southwest border. By the end of the year, the total immigration case backlog surged to 3.6 million.
