Military Lawyers Mobilized as Immigration Judges in U.S.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has sanctioned the deployment of up to 600 military lawyers to the Justice Department to act as temporary immigration judges. This initiative aims to address the substantial backlog of immigration cases exacerbated by recent judge dismissals and augment current judicial numbers.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized the dispatch of up to 600 military lawyers to the Justice Department, where they will temporarily serve as immigration judges, a memorandum obtained by The Associated Press reveals.

Beginning with teams of 150 attorneys, both military and civilian, the first deployment is slated to occur imminently, with selections reportedly being finalized by next week. This strategic move arises amid intensifying immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, a policy that has contributed to a backlog nearing 3.5 million cases.

The initiative, requested by the Justice Department, follows the contentious removal of at least 17 immigration judges, leaving a diminished bench of approximately 600 judges. This Pentagon intervention, renewable beyond an initial 179 days, seeks to double that number to mitigate the backlog.

(With inputs from agencies.)