Wed Sep 03 04:21:55 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

The Trump administration plans to temporarily use hundreds of military lawyers as immigration judges, a move criticized by the American Immigration Lawyers Association as inappropriate due to the lawyers’ lack of relevant training and expertise. The plan is part of a broader trend of involving the military in domestic immigration enforcement efforts. Concerns are raised about due process and the integrity of the immigration court system, especially given past criticisms of military lawyers by a key figure involved in the deployment.

**News Article:**

**Military Lawyers to Serve as Immigration Judges in Trump Administration Move**

**Washington, D.C.** – In a controversial move, the Trump administration is deploying hundreds of military and civilian lawyers from the Department of Defense (DOD) to serve as temporary immigration judges. The decision, aimed at reducing the backlog of immigration cases, has drawn sharp criticism from legal experts who question the qualifications of military lawyers to preside over complex immigration hearings.

“These DOD attorneys will augment existing resources to help further combat a backlog of cases by presiding over immigration hearings,” said Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell in a statement. Up to 600 military lawyers could be involved, serving initial terms of 179 days.

However, the plan has been met with strong opposition. Ben Johnson, Executive Director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, likened the situation to “having a cardiologist do a hip replacement,” highlighting the lack of specialized legal knowledge required for immigration cases. “Expecting fair decisions from judges unfamiliar with the law is absurd,” Johnson stated. “This reckless move guts due process and further undermines the integrity of our immigration court system.”

Concerns are also being raised in light of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s past criticisms of military lawyers, detailed in his 2024 book, where he stated they “spend more time prosecuting our troops than putting away bad guys.”

The deployment of military lawyers is the latest in a series of measures by the Trump administration to involve the military in immigration enforcement. These actions include deploying troops to the US-Mexico border, sending National Guard members into US cities for immigration support, detaining individuals at military bases for deportation, and utilizing military aircraft for deportations.

The move comes just as a court ruled that the Trump administration had “wilfully” violated federal law by sending National Guard troops to Los Angeles earlier this year.

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