In a recent development, another series of dismissals have occurred within immigration courts located in Massachusetts, California, and Louisiana. This move is part of the Trump administration’s ongoing initiatives to reduce government size and increase immigration-related arrests. According to sources familiar with the situation and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers union, at least eight immigration judges have received notices indicating they will be placed on leave with employment termination slated for April 22. These sources chose to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation.
The judges affected by these notices have not been provided an explanation for their impending dismissals. They are at the conclusion of their two-year probationary period with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), which is under the jurisdiction of the Justice Department. The EOIR refrained from commenting on these personnel matters.
The administration’s dismissal of probationary workers is not limited to immigration courts but extends across various federal agencies. However, the action against judges is adding to criticism of the Trump administration, pointing to an alleged lack of due process for migrants and noncitizens facing deportation. President Trump’s remarks earlier this week have amplified such concerns. In a social media post on Monday, Trump stated that providing trials for every individual would require an impractical amount of time, estimating hundreds of thousands of cases needing attention.
Currently, about 700 immigration judges operate within 71 immigration courts and adjudication centers nationwide. These judges hold the authority to revoke green cards and issue final deportation orders for individuals who have been in the country for more than two years. The recent terminations coincided with vacancies resulting from previous dismissals or resignations of over 100 court staff, including more than two dozen judges. EOIR has posted openings for immigration judge positions in areas where judges were recently dismissed.
Matt Biggs, president of the judges’ union, criticized the firings for exacerbating the courts’ already lengthy case backlog, which consists of millions of cases. He expressed that instead of reducing the number of judges, more should be hired.
Thirteen judges who were previously terminated have filed a class appeal, arguing wrongful termination. Democracy Forward, represented by President and CEO Skye Perryman, released a statement arguing that the dismissals of these judges violated civil service protections.
Legal experts in immigration warn that the system is already overloaded, with judges handling an average of 500 to 600 cases annually. The backlog includes nearly 4 million pending cases, with close to 1.5 million being asylum cases, despite only 666,177 initial decisions being issued by immigration courts in the 2024 fiscal year.
Further, an April 11 memo from acting EOIR Director Sirce Owen criticized judges for inefficient docket management and encouraged dismissing legally insufficient asylum cases without a hearing. This directive may lead to decisions on asylum eligibility being made without hearings, relying solely on complex asylum request forms.
Biggs contends that the dismissal of judges undermines the administration’s deportation goals. He referenced Trump’s comments, suggesting that at the current rate of judge terminations, resolving pending cases could take much longer than a few years.
