Trump administration swears in a record setting 82 immigration judges

By Easton Martin | May 21, 2026

The Justice Department announced the swearing-in of 82 new federal immigration judges this week, marking the largest single class of adjudicators in the history of the agency. The massive onboarding is the latest cornerstone in the Trump administration’s aggressive effort to accelerate deportation proceedings and clear out a backlogged immigration court system.

​According to official data released by the Department of Justice, the newly inducted group consists of 77 permanent judges and 5 temporary judges. The administration stated that the primary objective of this expansion is to reduce the massive caseload hindering the courts and to quicken the pace of removals from the country.

​The administration has positioned this historic expansion as a vital corrective measure. Officials argue that adding a substantial number of benches is essential to restore order following years of historic border crossings and millions of pending cases that have overwhelmed federal infrastructure.

​Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche voiced strong support for the initiative, stating that the Trump administration remains fully committed to restoring the rule of law in the nation’s immigration system. Justice Department officials also reported that the nationwide immigration court backlog, which once hovered near 4 million cases, has shifted downward to approximately 3.5 million over the past several months.

​The arrival of this historic class follows an extensive overhaul of the immigration court system. Over the last year, the Trump administration removed more than 100 immigration judges across the United States, including numerous individuals who were appointed under the previous administration. Prior to this new wave of hiring, the total corps of active immigration judges had fallen from above 700 down to fewer than 600. Justice Department officials confirmed that this newly minted class successfully brings total staffing levels back toward the 700-member baseline.

​Biographical details provided by the government reveal that the vast majority of the newly appointed judges possess deep backgrounds in law enforcement and prosecution. A significant portion of the appointees previously served as attorneys for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, local prosecutors, or military officers and judge advocates.