Seventeen immigration judges were dismissed in recent days, according to the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, the union representing immigration court judges. Fifteen were fired Friday and two more on Monday, with judges in at least ten states affected, including California, Texas, Illinois, and New York.
The dismissals come as the Trump administration intensifies its deportation operations and expands immigration enforcement under new legislation allocating $170 billion to the effort. Of that, $3.3 billion will fund the hiring of additional staff and boost the number of immigration judges to 800. The current bench consists of roughly 600 judges. Immigration courts operate under the Justice Department.
The union also noted that since Trump took office, more than 100 judges have either been fired or departed after receiving “Fork in the Road” offers issued early in the administration.
