Yes.
In mid-February, the Trump administration fired 13 immigration judges who had yet to be sworn in, as well as seven acting immigration judges. Those waiting to be sworn in were appointed by former President Joe Biden, as were two of the acting judges. It is unclear which administration appointed the remaining five, as their identities are not yet publicly known.
The Executive Office for Immigration Review, which administers the immigration court system, is housed within the Department of Justice. For years, the system has experienced persistent backlogs, with the number of pending cases reaching a historic 3.6 million last year.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- Associated Press, Justice Department fires 20 immigration judges from backlogged courts amid major government cuts
- Texas Tribune, Trump administration removes five immigration judges in Texas, union says
- U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review Fact Sheet
- U.S. Department of Justice, EOIR Announces 24 New Immigration Judges
- Congressional Research Service, FY2024 EOIR Immigration Court Data: Caseloads and the Pending Cases Backlog
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
