Several immigration judges in Massachusetts, California, and Louisiana have received notices of dismissal, marking another round of personnel changes in the nation’s immigration courts under the Trump administration. At least eight judges were placed on leave and informed that their employment would end on April 22, according to individuals familiar with the matter and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, the union representing immigration judges.
The judges were at the end of their two-year probationary term with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), part of the Department of Justice. EOIR declined to comment on personnel issues.
These dismissals come as the administration pursues its dual objectives of reducing the size of the federal workforce and increasing immigration enforcement. President Trump recently commented that holding individual trials for all cases would be impractical given the volume, with nearly 4 million pending cases, including about 1.5 million asylum requests.
The judges’ union expressed concern that such dismissals could further strain an already overburdened system. Thirteen previously terminated judges have filed a class appeal, alleging they were wrongfully dismissed.
Meanwhile, EOIR has posted openings for new immigration judge positions, including in some locations where judges were recently let go. An internal memo dated April 11 encouraged judges to manage their caseloads more efficiently and consider dismissing legally deficient asylum applications without hearings, based on the information submitted in asylum forms.
