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In a sweeping move to stabilize the nation’s overwhelmed immigration court system, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the appointment of 36 new immigration judges — 11 permanent and 25 temporary — following an unprecedented wave of more than 100 judicial terminations, reassignments, and early retirements.

The new class of judges, formally sworn in Friday by Chief Immigration Judge Teresa L. Riley, will begin presiding over cases in 16 states. The appointments mark one of the DOJ’s most significant efforts in years to reconstitute the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and reestablish stability amid mounting political and legal scrutiny.

“EOIR is restoring its integrity as a preeminent administrative adjudicatory agency,” the department said in a statement. “These new immigration judges are joining a corps committed to upholding the rule of law.”

A Rebuilding Moment After a Wave of Departures

The appointments come after what observers describe as one of the most dramatic reshuffles in the EOIR’s history. According to the National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ), 128 judges have either been fired, retired early, or involuntarily transferred since January 20 — a figure that has sparked fierce debate over the department’s restructuring strategy.

Of those, 82 judges were terminated outright, the union said, raising questions about the criteria used in the shake-up and whether political motivations played a role in the mass dismissals.

The DOJ, however, has defended its actions, framing the overhaul as a step toward efficiency, professionalism, and renewed public trust in the immigration court system.

Who the New Judges Are

The 11 permanent judges largely hail from the federal government, with experience spanning the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, and the EOIR itself. Many also bring experience as former assistant U.S. attorneys or prior federal judges, signaling a preference for courtroom-tested legal minds familiar with administrative law.

Meanwhile, the 25 temporary judges come predominantly from the military justice system, having served as judge advocates in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy.

New Rule Broadens Eligibility for Temporary Judges

A regulatory change implemented in August played a crucial role in expanding the candidate pool. The amendment broadened the qualifications for temporary immigration judgeships to include military and veterans’ appeal judges, private attorneys, and government lawyers, and notably waived the prior requirement for experience in immigration law.

The new rule has been both praised for its inclusivity and criticized by immigration advocates who argue it could lead to inconsistent rulings from judges with limited exposure to the complexities of immigration law.

A Court System Under Pressure

The immigration court system, already strained by a record 3 million pending cases, faces a crossroads. The addition of dozens of new judges could help reduce backlogs but also reshapes the institutional culture of EOIR amid concerns about independence, case quotas, and political influence.

With Chief Judge Riley pledging to “uphold the rule of law and restore public faith,” the new judicial class faces the monumental task of steering the nation’s immigration courts through one of their most turbulent eras in decades.

As one observer noted, the DOJ’s new appointments are more than just bureaucratic reshuffling — they are “the rebuilding of a courtroom system that sits at the intersection of law, humanity, and national policy.”