David Landry has noticed lately that some judges in San Diego’s immigration courts have been a bit stressed out.
“Some of the judges, not all, have been a bit testy, a bit short” said Landry, an immigration lawyer with decades of experience. “You can tell that they’re feeling this outside pressure.”
That outside pressure is largely the result of layoffs and resignations prompted by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Since President Donald Trump began his new term in January, roughly 50 immigration judges across the country have left their jobs, according to the union that represents the judges.
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Immigration judges play a deciding role in deportation cases, which makes them key to fulfilling the Trump administration's goal of carrying out the largest mass deportation in American history.
“That first round of firings just sent a message to immigration judges that their job is not safe,” said Matthew Briggs, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPT).
Briggs is referring to firings in February. That’s when the Department of Justice, which oversees the immigration court system, fired 29 judges without explanation, according to the IFPT.
The second round came in March, when 18 immigration judges accepted government severance offers from DOGE’s controversial “Fork in the Road” email.
Immigration judges already faced an overwhelming 3.7 million case backlog before the firings and terminations. Now, those who remain — roughly 700 nationwide — will face the challenge of increases to already excessive workloads.
“When you fire even one judge, you’re increasing the already incredibly large case backlog,” Briggs said.
Additionally, more than 100 immigration court workers have also lost their jobs because of DOGE’s actions, according to IFPT. This includes translators, IT workers and attorney advisors and other workers who, “help the system work efficiently,” Briggs said.
The U.S. Department of Justice, which oversees the immigration courts, did not respond to requests from KBPS for comment.
Local impact
San Diego’s immigration court lost three judges — bringing the total down from 11 to eight.
Landry also noted that the court lost one of its only full-time IT workers.
“So when judges have problems with technology — and they do almost every day — there’s no one to turn to,” he said.
As Trump and his allies continue to push for more deportations, Landry worries the pressure to resolve cases faster could lead to due process violations because deportees and their lawyers don't have enough time to prepare for their cases.
“I have done my best, and I pray that I have done my best by my clients to provide them proper representation, but I think it would be naïve and disingenuous for me or any attorney to claim that being rushed doesn’t have an impact,” he said.
The DOJ has said very little publicly about the firings, leaving local immigration lawyers confused about what criteria was used to determine which judges were let go.
For example, Judge Rhana Ishimoto litigated removal cases on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) before becoming an immigration judge in 2023.
“She was a tough government attorney,” Landry said.
According to the IFPT, most of the fired judges were appointed during the Biden administration.
Rep. Mike Levin (D-49) does not believe that Republicans are prioritizing adding to the ranks of immigration judges. He pointed to their current budget proposal.
“There was $10 billion for deportation, you know, to carry out mass deportation,” said Levin, who’s district covers parts of North San Diego County and South Orange County. “But nothing for immigration judges.”
IFPT has publicly criticized the firings and hinted at taking legal action against the administration.
Meanwhile, Briggs said fewer immigration judges likely means fewer deportations of people convicted of dangerous offenses like murder or assault.
“They’re making it more difficult,” he said.
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