New immigration judges

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: KPCC Pasadena, CA/LAist/NPR

Published October 25, 2025 11:00 AM


The Justice Department has hired 36 immigration judges, including 25 temporary ones, for its Executive Office for Immigration Review, marking the first class to join the immigration courts after months of cuts to the workforce. Judges will soon take the bench across 16 states, according to a Justice Department announcement. These include courts that saw the biggest losses of judges this year such as Chelmsford, Mass., and Chicago.

"EOIR is restoring its integrity as a preeminent administrative adjudicatory agency," the announcement states. "These new immigration judges are joining an immigration judge corps that is committed to upholding the rule of law."

The incoming class of permanent judges comprises mostly those with a background in federal government work, including EOIR itself and the Department of Homeland Security. Previously, they trained Immigration and Customs enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents, were asylum officers and worked for ICE's legal arm. One judge was originally going to take the bench at the start of the year but was among the initial class of judges fired before they could start.

The temporary immigration judges include military lawyers from the Marines, Navy, Army and Air Force. Earlier this summer, the Pentagon authorized about 600 military lawyers to work for the DOJ. The DOJ changed who could qualify as a temporary immigration judge — effectively lowering the requirements and removing the need to have prior immigration law experience.

Read more: https://laist.com/brief/news/department-of-justice-hires-immigration-judges-after-months-of-layoffs

[Bayard]

1. It sounds to me like they're going to be hiring, "judges," the same way they hire ICE agents

You have a pulse, but no scruples? You're hired!

[ancianita]

2. Temporary? Doubtful. My theory: These new "immigration" will eventually become the JAG "judiciary." Why?

Because sometime between 2026-2028 this so-called commander-in-chief will declare martial law & military dictatorship.

Even though the Supreme Court has ruled that military trials of civilians are invalid if civilian courts are still operational even under martial law. But that doesn't necessarily mean the courts will even have the role they currently do. Given courts' current lax enforcement of rulings, it's doubtful the civilian judicial branch under martial law would still have any serious role in limiting military authority. It would still be the civilian judiciary vs trump, same as now.

As for the quality of JAG "judges"...

In addition to being licensed attorneys in any state or territory of the U.S., all military attorneys undergo specialized training to qualify as judge advocates, allowing them to act as trial or defense counsel at military courts-martial. Specialized training takes place at one of three military law centers:

The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School (U.S. Army) in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island.
Air Force Judge Advocate General School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama.

Naval Justice School is the primary training center for Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard JAs. Most judge advocates will take additional classes at more than one of these facilities during their time in the JAG Corps.

The Army's JAG School is the only military law center that has full American Bar Association accreditation. Its graduate course, leading to a Master of Laws degree, is open to judge advocates from all service branches.

Newly commissioned JAG officers may have little to no special legal education prior to commissioning; after completing Army Direct Commissioned Course, they receive their legal training at Judge Advocate Basic Officer Course at Fort Lee, Virginia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Advocate_General%27s_Corps


https://www.democraticunderground.com/132293722