The Trump administration has dismissed twenty immigration judges, including thirteen who had yet to be sworn in, and five assistant chief immigration judges, The Associated Press reports.
The move comes amid government-wide efforts to reduce the federal workforce, a union official said Saturday.
The US Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), which oversees the immigration courts, has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the dismissals or whether the positions will be filled.
The dismissals add to the challenges facing immigration courts, which are already burdened with a backlog of over 3.7 million cases. The Trump administration has also implemented policy changes within the EOIR, including leadership changes and new instructions reversing previous policies.
The administration’s actions align with its priorities of reducing the size of the federal government. On Thursday, agencies were ordered to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection.
