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US Justice Department Seeks Legal Professionals to Serve as ‘Deportation’ (Immigration) Judges

The US Justice Department has begun recruiting legal professionals to serve as "deportation" judges — a public label for positions officially listed as immigration judges. The campaign, promoted by prominent supporters, offers salaries of $159,951–$207,500 and location incentives in major cities. The drive follows EOIR rule changes that broaden temporary judge eligibility and the hiring of dozens of military attorneys amid departures and removals of several sitting immigration judges.

06:04 AM, 11/22/2025Politics
US Justice Department Seeks Legal Professionals to Serve as ‘Deportation’ (Immigration) Judges

The US Department of Justice has launched a recruitment drive seeking legal professionals to serve as so-called "deportation" judges, part of the current administration’s effort to accelerate immigration enforcement and overhaul the immigration court system.

"If you are a legal professional, the Trump Administration is calling on YOU to join @TheJusticeDept as a Deportation Judge to restore integrity and honor to our Nation’s Immigration Court system," wrote South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem in a post on X.

The Justice Department — which oversees the nation's immigration courts through the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) — published recruitment materials inviting candidates to "become a deportation judge" and to help "define America for generations." While the public ads use the phrase "deportation judge," the official job title on the government application portal remains "immigration judge."

Applicants are told that, if appointed, they will have the authority to "determine whether an alien has to leave the United States or gets to stay" and to "ensure that only aliens with legally meritorious claims are allowed to remain." The advertised salary range is $159,951 to $207,500, and cash incentives are offered for positions in high-cost cities such as New York, Boston and San Francisco.

This recruitment push follows changes at EOIR earlier in the year that relaxed eligibility rules for temporary immigration judges, allowing a broader range of lawyers — including hundreds of military attorneys — to fill vacancies. The move came amid the removal and resignation of several immigration judges whose rulings or public comments were viewed as at odds with administration priorities, and against the backdrop of a chronically backlogged immigration court system.

Critics say recent layoffs and terminations — including cases in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Boston — disproportionately affected judges in sanctuary cities or those with higher asylum grant rates. Supporters of the recruitment drive argue it will refresh the bench and speed decisions in cases involving national security and immigration enforcement.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the recruitment campaign and its longer-term plans for the immigration court system.

What applicants should know:

  • Official title listed on applications: Immigration Judge.
  • Pay range: $159,951–$207,500, with location-based incentives noted for some major cities.
  • EOIR rule changes now permit a wider pool of attorneys to serve temporarily as judges.
  • Appointments will carry responsibility for adjudicating claims for asylum, relief from removal, and related immigration matters.

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