Trump Administration Swears In Largest Class of Immigration Judges in Federal History

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The Justice Department added 82 immigration judges as the White House intensifies efforts to accelerate deportation proceedings and reduce the immigration court backlog.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

The Trump administration announced Thursday that it has sworn in 82 new federal immigration judges as part of a major expansion of the immigration court system aimed at accelerating deportation proceedings and reducing the nation’s growing backlog of immigration cases.

According to initial reporting by CBS News, the Department of Justice confirmed that 77 permanent judges and five temporary judges entered service this week, forming the largest immigration judge class in department history.

The move marks a significant escalation in the administration’s immigration enforcement strategy as Donald Trump continues prioritizing border security and mass deportation initiatives during his second term.

Administration officials said the expanded judicial workforce is intended to speed up case processing within the immigration court system, where pending cases have reached into the millions after years of increased asylum claims and illegal border crossings.

The Justice Department stated that the nationwide immigration case backlog has fallen from approximately 4 million pending cases to roughly 3.5 million since January 2025.

Todd Blanche described the hiring effort as part of a broader effort to restore enforcement-focused immigration policies.

“The Trump administration is committed to reestablishing an immigration judge corps that is dedicated to restoring the rule to the law in our nation’s immigration system,” Blanche said.

“This could only happen thanks to President Trump’s decisive leadership and commitment to securing our borders,” he added.

The administration has increasingly referred to immigration judges in public job postings as “deportation judges,” language that has generated criticism from immigration advocacy groups and legal organizations that argue the immigration courts are being politicized.

Immigration judges operate within the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review but are expected to function as neutral adjudicators in immigration proceedings.

American Immigration Lawyers Association criticized the administration’s approach, arguing the hiring expansion reflects an effort to intensify deportation operations.

Greg Chen of the organization accused the administration of attempting to turn immigration judges into “tools of enforcement, not impartial adjudicators.”

According to Justice Department biographies, many of the newly appointed judges previously served as attorneys for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, federal prosecutors, military officers, or government lawyers.

The hiring initiative follows major structural changes within the immigration court system over the past year, during which the administration removed more than 100 immigration judges while reshaping court operations to align with broader deportation objectives.

The renewed focus on immigration enforcement comes as the White House attempts to energize supporters ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, particularly voters prioritizing deportations, border security, and stricter immigration controls.