WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — President Donald Trump said a priority in his second term is conducting mass deportations. At the same time, his administration has fired probationary immigration judges working for the administration.
The president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Matt Biggs, said his union represents some of the fired judges. Biggs said the Department of Justice fired 28 immigration judges, who were considered probationary employees.
“They had gone through the rigorous process of being hired,” Biggs said. “They get fired for no reason at all. It boggles the mind.”
The Department of Justice said about 700 immigration judges hear cases across the country. He said each hears between 5-700 cases a year. Immigration judges are administrative law judges who work for DOJ.
“When you fire immigration judges, you’re effectively increasing the already huge backlog,” Biggs said.
The Congressional Research Service said the backlog for immigration courts passed 3.6 million cases by the end of 2024. At his State of the Union last year, former President Joe Biden said it can take six years for a case to be adjudicated.
Biden said the immigration deal negotiated between the then-White House and Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, would have added 100 immigration judges.
Biggs said hiring more has bipartisan support.
Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, who chairs the House DOGE Caucus, said he supports most of the workforce cuts.
“There’s an opportunity for all these people once the review’s done to come back,” Sessions said.
Department of Justice Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle released a statement last week that said the “multiple layers of removal restrictions shielding administrative law judges are unconstitutional,” essentially making it easier for DOJ to fire them.
The next day, on Feb. 21, the Department of Justice sent a memo clarifying that statement also applies to immigration judges.
“When I tell you that people are stressed out, that’s an understatement,” Biggs said.
Neither the White House nor the Department of Justice responded to Nexstar’s request for comment.
Read: Read More