President Trump’s Justice Department has fired 20 immigration judges in its latest effort to reduce government waste and downsize operations. According to ABC News, 13 judges and five assistant chief immigration judges were dismissed without explanation.
The immigration court system is currently overwhelmed, with millions of pending cases. ABC News reported:
“The Trump administration fired 20 immigration judges without explanation, a union official said Saturday amid sweeping moves to shrink the size of the federal government.”
On Friday, 13 judges who had not yet been sworn in and five assistant chief immigration judges were dismissed without notice, according to Matthew Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, which represents federal workers. Two additional judges were fired under similar circumstances last week.
It remains unclear whether these positions will be filled. The U.S. Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, which manages the courts and oversees approximately 700 judges, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.
Immigration courts are currently backlogged with over 3.7 million cases, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Asylum cases, in particular, can take years to resolve. While there is bipartisan support for hiring more judges and support staff, the first Trump administration had previously pressured some judges to expedite case decisions.
President Trump continues to fulfill his campaign promise to reduce the size of government and eliminate wasteful spending. This move is part of a broader effort that includes significant workforce reductions across multiple federal agencies. Earlier reports indicated that as many as 15,000 IRS workers could face termination as early as next week.
