The Trump administration dismissed eight immigration judges in New York City on Monday, December 1, 2025, an official from the National Association of Immigration Judges confirmed.
All eight judges were based at the 26 Federal Plaza courthouse, which also houses the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters in the city. Among those fired was Amiena Khan, an assistant chief immigration judge who supervised other judges at the facility.
Since January, 98 judges have been removed nationwide, including 12 assistant chiefs, according to the official. A nearly equal number have taken early retirement, resigned, or accepted early-out options during the Trump administration.
The Executive Office for Immigration Review at the Justice Department, which oversees immigration judges and courts, declined to comment on personnel matters. The New York Times first reported the firings on Monday.
At the start of 2025, the United States had approximately 700 immigration judges; that number has now fallen below 600. A tax bill signed by President Trump in July calls for 800 permanent immigration judges and support teams. Since January, the Justice Department has hired 11 permanent judges and 25 temporary judges, the latter drawn from military backgrounds for six-month terms.
In a statement, a Justice Department spokesperson said:
“After four years of the Biden Administration forcing Immigration Courts to implement a de facto amnesty for hundreds of thousands of aliens, this Department of Justice is restoring integrity to our immigration system and encourages talented legal professionals to join in our mission to protect national security and public safety.”
Earlier in July, three judges described the firings as “arbitrary,” “unfair,” and “an attack on the rule of law.” At the time, the Justice Department did not respond to claims by the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers that several judges were dismissed without cause.
The immigration courts continue to face a backlog of over 3.4 million cases. In September, a defense official confirmed that the Pentagon is considering authorizing up to 600 military attorneys to serve as temporary immigration judges.
In late August, the Trump administration relaxed job requirements for temporary immigration judges, allowing a broader range of government lawyers to preside over cases. According to the Federal Register, the Justice Department stated that restrictions limiting these roles to lawyers with a decade of immigration law experience or former judges “no longer serves [the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s] interests.”
This change aims to address staffing shortages and accelerate the handling of the growing immigration caseload.
