U.S. Immigration Courts Face Crisis as 20 Judges Dismissed by Trump Administration

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The Trump administration has dismissed 20 immigration judges amid broader efforts to reduce the federal workforce, according to Matthew Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers. The firings, which include 13 judges awaiting confirmation and five assistant chief immigration judges, were executed without notice on February 15.

This move comes as U.S. immigration courts are currently overburdened with a backlog of more than 3.7 million cases, as reported by Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Officials have expressed concern regarding the impact of such dismissals, especially given the mounting pressure on the judicial system, which has faced calls from various political factions for more judges and support staff.

The Justice Department has not responded to requests for comment on the firings. Biggs remarked that this trend aligns with recent efforts to reshape the federal workforce, stating, "They're treating these people as if they're not human beings." The situation has sparked widespread criticism regarding the future functionality of immigration courts.

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