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Wednesday, Mar. 5, 2025

Did the Trump administration fire nearly two dozen immigration judges?

Carmela Guaglianone, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
yes

In mid-February, the Trump administration fired 13 immigration judges who had yet to be sworn in, as well as seven acting immigration judges. Those waiting to be sworn in were appointed by former President Joe Biden, as were two of the acting judges. It is unclear which administration appointed the remaining five, as their identities are not yet publicly known.

The Executive Office for Immigration Review, which administers the immigration court system, is housed within the Department of Justice. For years, the system has experienced persistent backlogs, with the number of pending cases reaching a historic 3.6 million last year. 

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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.

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