Washington: The administration of US President Donald Trump is temporarily reassigning immigration lawyers to the Department of Justice (DOJ) as part of efforts to accelerate actions aimed at revoking the citizenship of certain naturalized Americans, according to reports published in the United States.
The move is part of a broader immigration enforcement strategy under the Trump administration, which has intensified deportation policies and expanded immigration court operations since returning to office in 2025. Reuters reported that the reassignment was first detailed by Axios, though Reuters said it had not independently verified all aspects of the report.
The Justice Department has simultaneously expanded the immigration court system, swearing in what officials described as the largest class of immigration judges in agency history. According to the DOJ, 77 permanent and five temporary immigration judges were recently added, bringing the total number of judges to nearly 700 nationwide.
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche said reducing the immigration court backlog remains a major priority for the administration. The DOJ stated that pending immigration cases have declined from roughly four million to about 3.53 million since Trump returned to office.
The administration has also reshaped the immigration judiciary by replacing dismissed or retired judges with new appointees who often have backgrounds in immigration enforcement or criminal prosecution. More than 100 immigration judges have reportedly left the system through firings, resignations, retirements, or buyouts since early 2025.
Civil rights advocates and immigration groups have raised concerns over the administration’s broader legal and enforcement policies, arguing that aggressive immigration measures could increase pressure on courts and immigrant communities.