Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized sending up to 600 military and civilian attorneys to the Justice Department to serve as temporary immigration judges, according to an Aug. 27 memo reviewed by the Associated Press. The first wave of 150 attorneys is expected to be identified by next week.
The move comes as the Trump administration intensifies immigration enforcement nationwide, while immigration courts face a backlog of roughly 3.5 million cases. The Pentagon’s assistance would effectively double the number of immigration judges, after dozens were recently dismissed or left the bench under administration-offered resignations.
The temporary detail, requested by the Justice Department, will last up to 179 days and may be renewed. A White House official said Tuesday the administration is considering additional options, including hiring more immigration judges, to accelerate adjudications.
The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, the union representing immigration judges, reported in July that at least 17 judges were removed “without cause.” Currently about 600 judges remain nationwide.
Both the DOJ and Pentagon declined to discuss the details, referring inquiries to the White House, which described the matter as a “priority that everyone — including those waiting for adjudication — can rally around.”
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