WASHINGTON — The union for federal immigration judges reports that the Trump administration fired over two dozen judges, some from Texas, despite a huge number of pending immigration cases. Immigration advocates say the terminations will only increase the delays in hearing the cases.

What You Need To Know

  • The Trump administration has fired 29 federal immigration judges, including five in Texas, according to the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, the union representing the judges

  • Immigration advocates and union leaders criticize the move, calling it contradictionary as the administration also pushes for stricter immigration enforcement measures

  • The judges were let go despite a backlog of more than 3.7 million cases in the immigration courts and some advocates say the firings of immigration judges will not help

  • The Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review declined to comment on personnel matters, when asked by Spectrum News the reasoning behind the firings

As President Donald Trump’s administration pursues mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, it has fired 29 federal immigration judges in recent weeks, according to the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, the union representing them. Union leaders call it hypocrisy.

“When you have an administration that campaigned on the one hand of strict enforcement of immigration laws, and on the other hand is firing immigration judges that actually handle up to 700 cases a year, it makes no sense,” Matthew Biggs, president of IFPTE, told Spectrum News. 

In Texas alone, five federal immigration judges based in Laredo, Houston and El Paso were terminated, all without explanation, according to the union.

The judges were let go despite a backlog of more than 3.7 million cases in the immigration courts. Some advocates say the firings of immigration judges will not help. 

“They’re highly skilled lawyers. They specialize in immigration law, it takes them up to a year, sometimes more than a year, just to go through the process to get these jobs as immigration judges. It’s a very rigorous process,” Biggs said. “These are immigration law experts in our country that have decided to serve the country by being an immigration judge, so you’re losing that kind of skill set.” 

The Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review declined to comment on personnel matters, when asked by Spectrum News the reasoning behind the firings. 

President Trump and his cost-cutting chief Elon Musk have slashed the federal workforce. Republicans argue the president won because of his promises to shrink the federal government and conduct mass deportations. But immigration advocates worry the Trump administration will deny immigrants their legal right under U.S. law to file a claim of asylum to remain in the country or seek other protections. 

“The steps the administration is taking, both on the immigration courts side, but also with the Department of Homeland Security, signal a plan to essentially bypass the judiciary, which is one of the few checks left in this current system, to ensure that there is a thorough and fair process,” Greg Chen, senior director of government relations at American Immigration Lawyers Association, said. 

Union leaders say another 85 employees of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, including judges and support staff, accepted the Trump administration’s buyout offer, which is currently being challenged like many of President Trump’s executive actions.