WASHINGTON (BN24) — Seventeen immigration judges have been dismissed in recent days, the union representing them said, as the Trump administration intensifies its mass deportation campaign across the United States.
The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, which advocates for immigration judges and other professionals, said in a statement that 15 judges were terminated without cause last Friday and another two were fired Monday. According to the union, the judges had been working in courts spanning 10 states: California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Virginia.
“It’s outrageous and against the public interest that at the same time Congress has authorized 800 immigration judges, we are firing large numbers of immigration judges without cause,” union President Matt Biggs said. “This is nonsensical. The answer is to stop firing and start hiring.”
The firings come as immigration courts increasingly stand at the center of the administration’s enforcement strategy. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have been arresting immigrants as they arrive for court appearances, often taking them into custody immediately after judges terminate proceedings.
A spokesperson for the Executive Office of Immigration Review, the Justice Department agency that oversees the courts, declined to comment on the dismissals.
Large-scale courthouse arrests, which began in May, have rattled asylum-seekers and others pursuing legal immigration relief. Judges often grant government requests to dismiss deportation cases only for immigrants to be detained outside the courtroom and put on expedited removal flights.
Immigration courts are grappling with a record backlog that has swelled to roughly 3.5 million cases. Proceedings frequently stretch over years, with hearings often delayed more than 12 months. Unlike in criminal courts, immigrants do not have the right to an attorney; those unable to afford one must navigate the complex legal process alone, typically relying on interpreters to plead their case.
Congress recently approved $170 billion in new spending to expand immigration enforcement. Of that, $3.3 billion is earmarked to increase the number of judges to 800 and hire additional staff.
But the union said the latest dismissals will undermine those efforts. Since President Trump took office, more than 100 immigration judges have been either fired or left voluntarily after accepting so-called “Fork in the Road” offers extended early in the administration.
According to union figures, the nation’s immigration courts currently employ about 600 judges. Filling vacancies can take up to a year because of lengthy recruiting, vetting, and training processes.
Union officials warn the firings will worsen delays and deepen backlogs, rather than delivering the faster resolutions the administration has promised.
