Nearly 100 Immigration Court Officials Resign As Cases Backlog Continues to Pile Up

Nearly 100 immigration court professionals, including judges and support staff, have resigned or retired amid mass firings by the Trump administration, exacerbating an already historic backlog of cases. Critics warn that these actions will slow an overwhelmed system, which currently has approximately 3.7 million cases in queue.

The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), the union representing immigration judges, stated that about 85 court staff members have resigned or retired, while at least 29 judges and senior officials were dismissed, according to a new report by Axios. The administration's deferred resignation program to incentivize departures offered full pay and benefits until September for employees who agreed to resign by February 6.

The impact is expected to be significant. The union estimates the loss of judges and staff could add 24,000 cases to the backlog in 2025. Data from the Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) suggests that, had previous hiring trends continued, immigration judges would have been on pace to adjudicate a record 852,000 deportation cases in the upcoming fiscal year. With fewer judges, case processing efficiency is expected to decline.

In addition to judicial reductions, the administration has restricted legal representation for immigrants. The Department of Justice has already ordered federally funded legal service providers to stop offering orientation and support services, and temporarily halted funding for pro bono legal aid for unaccompanied migrant children, as ABC News points out.

"How do you deport people without immigration judges?" IFPTE President Matt Biggs told the news outlet. "It's highly hypocritical."

Immigration lawyers also report that case processing times are extending significantly. Houston-based attorney William Brooks recently told Border Report that, in some jurisdictions, initial hearings are scheduled two to three years out, with final hearings taking several more years. "You could be talking six, seven-plus years for a case to be adjudicated," Brooks said.

It's worth noting that Congress had appropriated money to hire up to 100 immigration judges per year over the past decade. However, as U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) pointed out to Border Report, many of the positions have not been filled despite record caseloads.