DOJ/EOIR Appoints 77 New Immigration Judges and 5 Temporary Immigration Judges in Single-Batch Expansion — Trump Administration Moves to Speed Deportation Case Processing Amid Record Backlog

On May 21, 2026, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the arm of the Department of Justice that oversees the nation's immigration courts, announced the appointment of 77 new immigration judges and 5 temporary immigration judges — one of the largest single-batch judicial appointments in immigration court history. The expansion follows the DOJ's earlier decision to loosen experience and qualification requirements for temporary immigration judges in order to rapidly fill vacancies in a court system facing a record backlog of over 3.7 million cases. The Trump administration has framed the appointment of additional judges as essential to accelerating deportation proceedings and clearing the backlog, though immigration advocates note that an increase in case throughput without proportional increases in legal representation means a growing share of cases are decided without counsel for the immigrant respondent — a factor strongly correlated with denial outcomes. The current administration has restructured EOIR's operations to prioritize rapid case completion, including through directives reducing the administrative closure of cases and reinstating the so-called 'dedicated docket' model for asylum seekers. Prior administrations removed experienced immigration judges as part of broader restructuring, contributing to the current vacancy situation. Immigration advocates and bar associations have raised concerns that rapid hiring with reduced qualification thresholds may compromise the quality of legal determinations in life-altering immigration proceedings. The batch announcement comes as the $71.7B ICE/CBP reconciliation package — which includes funding for immigration court operations — advanced to the Senate floor on May 20.