Justice Department swears in 82 new immigration judges to cut backlog

The Department of Justice swore in 82 new immigration judges this week, marking the largest single class of judges hired in the agency's history. The ceremony, held in Washington, D.C., is part of a sustained effort to reduce a massive backlog of cases in the nation's immigration courts.

Officials said the group includes 77 permanent judges and five temporary judges, bringing the total number of immigration judges to approximately 700. The Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review stated it has hired 153 permanent immigration judges in the current fiscal year, which it called a record for a single year.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement that the administration is committed to reestablishing an immigration judge corps dedicated to restoring the rule of law to the nation's immigration system. He credited President Trump's leadership and commitment to securing the borders for enabling the hiring surge.

Reducing the immigration court backlog remains a top priority for the department. Officials reported that since January 2025, the agency has completed more than 1.08 million cases and reduced the pending caseload by over 447,000 cases. The...