Federal Courts and Due Process

NPR reports that the United States now has about 25% fewer immigration judges than a year ago after the Trump administration fired nearly 100 judges in 2025 and many others resigned, even as only limited new hires came on. Internal EOIR data obtained and verified by NPR show 12 immigration courts have lost more than half their judges, two courts currently have none at all, and the Executive Office for Immigration Review has also lost over 400 legal assistants, attorney advisers and administrative specialists. Former judges describe coordinated December terminations — often by mass email — as a purge aimed at removing jurists seen as too lenient or independent, arguing it sends a message to those remaining to align with the administration’s interpretation of asylum and removal law or risk their jobs. DOJ defends the moves as restoring 'integrity' after what it calls Biden‑era 'de facto amnesty' and says it is hiring 'the most talented legal professionals' to protect national security and public safety, but NPR’s earlier analysis shows skyrocketing 'no‑show' rates and mounting case backlogs as courts run on skeleton crews. The article frames the cuts as part of Trump’s broader effort to clear legal and institutional obstacles to mass deportations, with former judges warning that due process and public confidence in immigration proceedings are being badly eroded.