Retired activist files documents in El Paso immigration court
Retired activist Dee Ann Croucher appears in immigration court in El Paso to testify and document immigration cases.
The Trump administration has begun calling immigration judges “deportation judges” as part of a hiring push to carry out the president’s mass deportation campaign.
“If you are a legal professional, the Trump Administration is calling on you to join @TheJusticeDept as a Deportation Judge to restore the integrity and honor of our nation’s immigration court system,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on X.
The online rebranding was also posted on the website of the Department of Justice, which oversees the U.S. immigration court system through the Office of Immigration Review, which read, “Help us write America’s next chapter. Apply now to become a deportation judge and you may be entitled to these benefits.”
It is unclear whether the Justice Department has officially changed or plans to change the immigration judge’s title. The agency did not respond to requests for comment.
Immigration judges hear cases of noncitizens the federal government seeks to deport, deciding who stays and who goes. Most of the cases they hear about are asylum applications.
In President Donald Trump’s first month in office, his administration fired several top officials at the Office of Immigration Review, a move widely seen as a move to bring in staff more in line with the administration’s policy vision.
Since then, dozens of immigration judges have been removed from their jobs across the country, according to the International Federation of Professional Engineers, the union representing immigration judges.
The Justice Department is currently making a visible push to fill vacant immigration judge positions, offering salaries and cash incentives ranging from $159,951 to $207,500 to judges in cities such as New York, Boston and San Francisco. Similar efforts are being rolled out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Both the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Review and ICE have been inundated with billions of dollars allocated by President Trump’s Big Beautiful Act, signed into law in July.
Immigration courts themselves have come under increased scrutiny as they have become the primary venue for immigrant arrests as the Trump administration lays off judges and court staff, with undercover officers detaining immigrants attending scheduled hearings.
Observers and legal experts say the initiative is causing more immigrants to bypass immigration court, fearing the legal immigration process due to the federal government’s aggressive crackdown.
Contributor: Eduardo Cuevas
