August 13, 2025
Immigration courts lose over 100 judges as Trump fires experienced jurists
Mass deportation promises meet judicial reality as court system collapses
🛂Immigration📜Constitutional Law⚖️Justice
Federal immigration courts lost over 140 judges in 2025 through firings, resignations, and early retirements
Trump administration fired judges in waves: 20 in February (Feb 14), 15 in July (July 11), nearly 20 in September, at least 8 in December 2025
Chelmsford, Massachusetts court lost Assistant Chief Immigration Judge David Cheng and Judge Donald Ostrom to resignations
Immigration court backlog reached 3.4 million cases by December 2025
Congress approved $45 billion for detention centers in July 2025 budget reconciliation bill
Administration replaced experienced judges with 25 temporary military lawyers lacking immigration law experience
Fired judges were more likely to have background in immigrant defense
California lost 35 immigration judges in 2025, more than a quarter of its total
ICE detention population increased 84 percent in 2025, reaching approximately 73,000 people by January 2026
🛂Immigration📜Constitutional Law⚖️Justice
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Q1
What's the most effective way for citizens to address the immigration court crisis?
Q2
What fraction of judges did the Chelmsford, Massachusetts immigration court lose?
Q3
How much should Congress allocate for emergency immigration judge hiring?
Q4
Which constitutional amendment guarantees due process in immigration cases?
Q5
How long are asylum seekers waiting for court dates due to the judge shortage?
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