Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Wednesday the Justice Department will move to remove immigration judges it finds are ruling too slowly or not applying the law, as the Trump administration presses to shrink a 3.7 million‑case court backlog and accelerate deportations. Blanche made the comments after speaking at the Border Security Expo in Phoenix, telling reporters the department will “try to find somebody different to fill” spots held by judges who, in his view, delay cases or decide based on sympathy rather than law.
Blanche, who took over the department after Pam Bondi was ousted last month, said the department has used new congressional funding to speed hiring of immigration judges and will closely monitor their performance once trained. “We have a very rigorous process to get people interviewed, approved, and then trained up. And then we’ll watch them,” he said, expressing confidence in the wave of new hires even as critics warn standards may be slipping.
The Justice Department’s oversight of immigration courts gives the attorney general greater authority than federal judges enjoy, and Blanche’s comments come as the administration already has moved aggressively to remake the system. Dozens of immigration judges have been removed during President Donald Trump’s second term, and media and court observers have reported recent high‑profile dismissals, including the abrupt firing earlier this year of judges Roopal Patel and Nina Froes after they dismissed deportation cases involving international students.
The push to speed decisions is part of a broader enforcement campaign. While the Department of Homeland Security carries out deportations, the administration has scaled up arrests in U.S. cities, expanded detention capacity and directed masked officers to handcuff migrants at some closed asylum hearings. Advocates say the cumulative effect is to squeeze avenues for relief and make routine court appearances risky for immigrants who may be detained or arrested.
Related Recipes
Governor Sherrill Pushes to Close Newark’s Delaney Hall as Protests and Alleged Hunger Strike Emerge at Private Immigration Detention Center
DHS Threat to Cut CBP Staffing at Sanctuary Airports Could Disrupt International Flights at O’Hare
USCIS Reverses Green Card Path, Forcing Temporary US Residents to Apply from Abroad
Nashville Judge Dismisses Indictment Over Retaliation Tied to Kilmar Abrego Deportation Challenge
Civil‑liberties groups and immigration lawyers warn the shift prioritizes speed over fairness. The American Immigration Lawyers Association has argued the administration is “systematically dismantling due process protections” in immigration courts, and critics point to a string of precedent decisions from a court‑system board that have narrowed pathways to asylum. Blanche rejected those criticisms, saying the board’s rulings were consistent with the law and that some judges have been delaying cases “inappropriately.”
Blanche also said the department is prioritizing denaturalization — stripping citizenship from people it alleges obtained it through fraud — calling the measure “one of the tools that we are using aggressively.” He did not provide metrics; historically, denaturalization was used sparingly, roughly a dozen cases per year between 1990 and 2017. How frequently the department will pursue denaturalization under the current push remains unclear.
Trending Now
Uncertain AMOC weakening highlights need for intensified ocean monitoring and emissions cuts after 2020 acidification risk finding
D.C. Circuit panel questions Trump administration argument that projects underway are untouchable in White House East Wing ballroom dispute
Paige Bueckers’ 2025 WNBA debut jersey sells for $64,720, a record for women’s game-worn memorabilia
Dua Lipa and Callum Turner Hold Three-Day Sicily Wedding Celebration in Palermo After London Civil Ceremony
The administration’s dual strategy — accelerating adjudications through the courts while expanding enforcement on the ground — is likely to face legal and political challenges. Critics say hastening removals by replacing judges and narrowing legal relief risks undermining long‑standing procedural safeguards. Supporters argue fast decisions and a more muscular approach are necessary to clear an unprecedented backlog and enforce immigration laws.
Continue Reading
