JUST IN: Pete Hegseth Authorizes Defense Department lawyers to Serve as Temporary Immigration Judges

by Jordan Conradson Sep. 2, 2025 5:45 pm



Photo courtesy of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly authorized 600 military and civilian attorneys to assist the Department of Justice (DOJ) as temporary immigration Judges.

Immigration courts are overseen by the DOJ, which has requested help from the Department of Defense in expediting deportations.

Under Joe Biden, millions of illegal aliens were released into the country and given immigration court dates, often years away, due to a massive backlog in immigration hearings.

The duties of newly assigned attorneys from the DOD only last 179 days but can be renewed, according to a memo reviewed by the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has ousted over 100 immigration judges with deferred resignation buyout offers.

The new attorneys from DOD can be expected to be tougher on illegal aliens and grant final orders of removal for everyone in our country illegally.

Per the Associated Press:

The military will begin sending groups of 150 attorneys — both military and civilians — to the Justice Department “as soon as practicable,” and the military services should have the first round of people identified by next week, according to the Aug. 27 memo.

The effort comes as the Trump administration is cracking down on illegal immigration by ramping up arrests and deportations. And immigration courts already are dealing with a massive backlog of roughly 3.5 million cases that has ballooned in recent years.

At the same time, more than 100 immigration judges have been fired or left voluntarily after taking deferred resignations offered by the Trump administration, their union says. In the most recent round of terminations, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers said in July that at least 17 immigration judges had been fired “without cause” in courts across the country.
…

A White House official said Tuesday that the administration is looking at a variety of options to help resolve the significant backlog of immigration cases, including hiring additional immigration judges. The official said the matter should be “a priority that everyone — including those waiting for adjudication — can rally around.”

This comes after a leftist San Francisco-based federal judge on Tuesday blocked President Trump from deploying the National Guard to Los Angeles, accusing the President of creating a “national police force” and acting as its “chief.” This is the same judge who ordered President Trump to return control of the National Guard to California in June. The order was appealed and overruled with a temporary administrative stay.

US Attorney Bill Essayli responded, saying, “The military will remain in Los Angeles.”



BREAKING: Clinton Judge Blocks Trump From Deploying National Guard to Los Angeles, Says Trump Violated Posse Comitatus Act

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The Gateway Pundit

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/09/just-pete-hegseth-authorizes-defense-department-lawyers-serve/