WASHINGTON, DC – The Justice Department has fired multiple immigration judges, and according to NBC News, this move threatens to further complicate an already delicate immigration system under the Trump administration’s new federal workforce.
NBC reports the firings were enacted by the director of the Executive Office of Immigration Review at the Justice Department, the division overseeing immigration courts.
According to a union representing immigration judges, more than two dozen immigration judges and other staff have been fired since the start of the Trump administration.
Matt Biggs, president of the IFPTE, expressed his concern regarding the firings, charging, “it makes no sense” when talking about how the Trump administration is carrying out these firings despite Trump’s campaign’s focus on immigration.
“He’s actually firing the very judges that have to hear these cases and make those decisions,” Biggs told NBC.
The union reports the Trump administration has fired at least four top managers in the Executive Office of Immigration Review, and a fifth senior manager since the 2025 inauguration.
Kerry Doyle, a recently appointed immigration judge under the Biden administration, told NBC “the firing was political” and noted she and colleagues who were fired had been hired during the Biden administration.
The Justice Department and Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comments on these claims, NBC said.
The Congressional Research Service reports the firing of immigration judges risks adding to a case backlog that has already reached record levels during the last three years, said NBC, and legal experts told NBC these removals could significantly slow down the immigration court process, leading to further delays for asylum seekers and immigrants awaiting rulings.
Many cases are already subject to years-long wait times, and with fewer judges in place, backlogs may only continue to grow, NBC News added.
Meanwhile, immigration advocates have criticized the administration’s decision, arguing it prioritizes political loyalty over judicial efficiency.
“We need more judges, not fewer,” said an attorney representing immigrants in deportation proceedings, adding, “By removing experienced judges, the administration is making it even harder for people to get fair hearings,” reported NBC News.
Some dismissed judges are reportedly considering legal action, claiming their terminations were politically motivated. Several have expressed concerns that their firings were part of a broader effort to reshape the immigration judiciary to align with the administration’s policy goals, NBC News wrote.
In Congress, Democratic lawmakers have vowed to investigate the matter, with some calling for additional oversight of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, said NBC, noting, a few have suggested legislation that would provide immigration judges with more job security to prevent politically driven removals in the future.
