Trump fires judges, shuts immigration courts nationwide

Nearly 100 immigration judges fired in 2025, reducing total from 700 to ~600 judges despite 3.4 million case backlog requiring years-long wait times

Immigration case backlog reached 3.4 million cases with average wait time of three years for hearings that may never be scheduled due to judge shortages

Trump demanded 500% faster deportation proceedings despite destroying the judicial infrastructure needed for processing cases with constitutional due process

Detention costs exploded with Congress appropriating over $14 billion annually for people awaiting hearings that cannot be scheduled due to systematic judge shortages

Essential workers in agriculture, food service, and construction remain detained indefinitely without trial dates, disrupting local economies across America

Acting EOIR directors have overseen systematic court dysfunction after DNDavid Neal resigned in Mar. 2024, with impossible administrative demands continuing

Constitutional due process violations mount as right to fair hearings becomes impossible to provide under current understaffed court system