Quarter of US immigration judges departed under Trump, fueling court system crisis

The U.S. immigration court system has lost approximately one-quarter of its bench over the past year following a wave of dismissals and resignations.

The number of permanent judges plummeted from 726 at the start of 2025 to 553 as of February 2026, according to recent data.

The Trump administration fired nearly 100 judges in 2025, while dozens of others chose to retire or resign. The staffing shortage has reached critical levels in several regions, leaving 12 courts with less than half of their judges and two courts with no judges at all.

Beyond the bench, the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) lost more than 400 legal and administrative staff members. The exodus has ballooned case backlogs and damaged employee morale, raising significant concerns regarding the fairness of legal proceedings.

Trump administration officials defended the personnel changes, stating they are "restoring integrity" to a system they claim was too lenient under the Biden administration.

Former judges, however, characterize the moves as a coordinated effort to accelerate mass deportations.

The mass dismissal and replacement of immigration judges by the Trump administration represents a calculated strategic pivot rather than a mere administrative reshuffle. This move signals an effort to reshape the immigration landscape from the ground up, prioritizing a judiciary staffed by hardliners committed to a restrictive interpretation of enforcement.

By targeting judges within their initial two-year probationary period, the administration is effectively bypassing traditional civil service protections to purge those deemed ideologically inconsistent with its agenda. The broader implication is a profound "chilling effect" across the bench. Remaining jurists now face mounting pressure to deliver more stringent rulings to secure their tenure, a shift that threatens to undermine the judicial independence essential to a fair legal system.

There is a stark contradiction between the administration’s stated goal of "timely" adjudications and the operational reality of its actions. The sudden loss of experienced judges and support staff will inevitably aggravate a case backlog that has already reached record highs. For immigrants caught in the system—including many within the Vietnamese community—this translates to years of additional legal limbo. Furthermore, when these cases finally reach a courtroom, respondents may face a judiciary operating under significant political duress, casting doubt on the fundamental promise of a fair hearing.

The persistent chaos within the immigration court system hits close to home for many Vietnamese-American families. Whether it’s a relative seeking asylum, a community member fighting a deportation order, or a loved one waiting on a critical decision regarding their legal status, the uncertainty is agonizing. These systemic delays place a staggering financial and emotional strain on our households and local businesses. Even more alarming is the increasing politicization of the courts, which fuels fears that cases are no longer being decided on their individual legal merits. Instead, there is a growing concern that due process is being sidelined by political agendas that prioritize removals over fair and impartial hearings.