Immigration judges

The Justice Department is moving to restock the nation's immigration courts after firing more than 100 sitting immigration judges, advertising new openings for what critics and some administration-aligned descriptions have called "deportation judges" as President Donald Trump accelerates his immigration agenda.

In place of immigration judges, more than 140 new "deportation" judges have been appointed, many of whom do not have stated experience in immigration law and are receiving less training than previously required.

A former judge told The New York Times the system was being transformed into one focused on "deporting as many people as possible as quickly as possible"

In a post on X, DHS Secretary Noem also echoed the term, adding that deportation judges will "restore integrity and honor to our Nation's Immigration Court system"

Critics say the policy especially jeopardizes asylum seekers without legal representation, an estimated half of all applicants, who may not fully understand or articulate the grounds for their claims on initial forms.

Thirteen immigration judges appointed in late 2024 have filed a class action lawsuit against the Trump administration

Of the 3.7 million pending immigration cases, nearly 1.7 million of them are still awaiting for asylum hearings or decisions regarding their case

Half of all ICE’s filings to have an individual deported were awarded by immigration judges so far in fiscal year 2014, the lowest ever rate.

Half of the nation's immigration judges are eligible for retirement in 2014, raising the possibility of further backlogs to an already backlog-plagued system.