Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved sending up to 600 military lawyers to the Justice Department to serve as temporary immigration judges, according to a memo reviewed by The Associated Press.
The military will begin sending groups of 150 attorneys — both military and civilian — to the Justice Department “as soon as practicable.” Services should have the first round of attorneys identified by next week, the August 27 memo said.
The Trump administration continues to increase immigration enforcement nationwide, ramping up arrests and deportations. Immigration courts face a backlog of about 3.5 million cases, which has grown sharply in recent years.
Union officials said numerous immigration judges have been fired or left after taking deferred resignations offered by the administration. The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers reported in July that at least 17 judges had been dismissed “without cause” in courts across the country.
Roughly 600 immigration judges remain on the bench, according to union data. The Pentagon plan would double their ranks.
The Justice Department requested the move. The memo stated the assignments will last up to 179 days but can be renewed.
When asked about the plan, a DOJ spokesperson referred questions to the Defense Department. Pentagon officials directed inquiries to the White House.
A White House official said Tuesday the administration is considering multiple steps to address the backlog. “The administration is looking at a variety of options to help resolve the significant backlog of immigration cases, including hiring additional immigration judges,” the official said. The official added the matter should be “a priority that everyone — including those waiting for adjudication — can rally around.”