Trump Administration Adds 82 Immigration Judges to Speed Deportations as Backlog Falls to 3.5 Million
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · May 21
Trump Administration Adds 82 Immigration Judges to Speed Deportations as Backlog Falls to 3.5 Million
2 articles · Updated · CBS New York · May 21
Summary
Eighty-two new immigration judges were sworn in this week—77 permanent and five temporary—in the largest class in Justice Department history, lifting the corps from below 600 back toward 700.
The administration said the hires will accelerate deportation cases as part of its broader immigration crackdown, with officials reporting the court backlog has dropped from 4 million to about 3.5 million since January 2025.
The expansion follows a purge of more than 100 judges over the past year and new directives that narrowed judges' ability to grant asylum, other relief or bond to migrants facing removal.
Most of the new judges previously worked as ICE lawyers, prosecutors or in military legal roles, while critics say the administration is turning immigration courts into enforcement tools rather than neutral tribunals.