17. Department of Justice · Notable
Fund adjudication of immigration cases, including under Migrant Protection Protocols
Printed page 568 17. Department of Justice
“Commit sufficient resources to the adjudication of cases in the immigration court system in different environments (for example, in the context of the Migrant Protection Protocols).”
What has happened
- Partially done
The hiring followed: 77 immigration judges and 5 temporary immigration judges were sworn in together, the largest class in the agency's history, after 153 permanent immigration judges were hired in fiscal 2026 — the most in any single year — bringing the corps to nearly 700. Resources are being committed to adjudication. Nothing published commits resources to adjudication in the different environments the Quote names: the Migrant Protection Protocols are not mentioned in any EOIR release in the window, and the department cut the Board of Immigration Appeals to 15 members in April 2025, reducing appellate capacity while trial capacity grew.
- Partially done
The department expanded adjudicative capacity by rule: the temporary immigration judge regulation was rewritten so that candidates for temporary appointments face the same requirements as permanent immigration judges, letting the Attorney General and the EOIR Director draw temporary judges from the full pool of qualified applicants. Capacity mechanism in place.
Research log
What was searched, and what didn’t count as evidence
Research notes
The Board reduction is attached to the same event because it cuts against the ask on the appellate side; see Judgment calls.
- Action
- expand
- Object
- immigration court adjudication resources
- ID
- 1574