WASHINGTON (Chatnewstv.com) — 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 released by Pentagon.
The military will begin sending groups of 150 attorneys — both military and civilian — to the Justice Department “as soon as practicable,” the memo said. The services are expected to identify the first group by next week.
The effort comes as the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on immigration, ramping up arrests and deportations. Immigration courts are already struggling with a massive backlog of about 3.5 million cases, which has ballooned in recent years.
At the same time, the administration has dismissed or accepted resignations from numerous immigration judges. Their union, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, said in July that at least 17 judges had been fired “without cause” in courts across the country. Union figures show roughly 600 judges remain, meaning the Pentagon’s move could effectively double their ranks.
The Pentagon memo said the temporary assignments will initially last no more than 179 days but could be renewed. The decision was made at the request of the Justice Department.
When asked about the plan, a Justice Department spokesperson referred questions to the Defense Department, which in turn directed inquiries to the White House.
A White House official said Tuesday the administration is considering “a variety of options” to reduce the immigration case backlog, including hiring more judges.
“This should be a priority that everyone — including those waiting for adjudication — can rally around,” the official said.
