Trump is hiring ‘deportation judges’ with six-figure bonuses, but what migrants are seeing on courtroom walls tells the real story

Around 1,700 people have applied to become “deportation judges” for the Trump administration after the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security ran a social media recruitment campaign that even used images from the dystopian film Judge Dredd. The campaign promises six-figure salaries, 25 percent bonuses, and the chance to “restore integrity and honor” to the U.S. court system.

According to The Independent, the recruitment push is part of a broader White House effort to speed up the country’s immigration court system, which is currently dealing with a backlog of about 3.6 million cases. The use of the term “deportation judge” is itself a notable shift from the norm, since immigration judges are traditionally expected to be impartial and consider all claims, including asylum requests that could allow people to legally stay in the country.

Leading this effort is former Marine Corps Colonel Daren Margolin, who heads the Executive Office of Immigration Review, the body that oversees immigration courts for the Department of Justice. Margolin has said he resigned from the immigration court system during the Biden administration because he “felt like a co-conspirator in treason.” It is not yet clear how many of the 1,700 applicants have been hired, though an initial group is set to start this month.

The Trump administration’s immigration court overhaul is drawing serious criticism from legal experts

Critics argue that the administration is misusing the immigration court system to push deportations faster. Austin Kocher, an immigration analyst at Syracuse University, wrote on Substack that calling an immigration judge a “deportation judge” effectively declares the position requires “preordination” rather than actual adjudication.

He added that only a lawyer who “despises the law and resents the intellectual responsibilities” would apply for such a “shamelessly subordinate position.” The U.S. immigration court system has long faced criticism for lacking independence. Unlike other courts, immigrants are not guaranteed an attorney, the rules of evidence are looser, and the judges work for the Justice Department, the same agency that employs the prosecutors. 

The attorney general, who is a political appointee, has the power to hire and fire immigration judges. Trump has also drawn scrutiny for inserting himself into unrelated national moments beyond immigration policy.

Since Trump took office, at least 135 immigration judges have either been fired or retired, and the courts have shown record-high asylum denial rates. The administration has also introduced unusual practices, including showing migrants posters encouraging them to plead guilty and self-deport.

Immigration attorney Rekha Sharma-Crawford from Kansas City pointed to how striking this is, saying, “Can you imagine going into a criminal court and seeing a sign that says, ‘Just plead guilty’?” She added that these posters are “all across immigration courts in the country,” even in the lobby. The administration has also been arresting people who show up for regular check-ins with immigration authorities.

There are also concerns about recruitment at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A whistleblower claims that ICE has cut training time, including on firearms handling and civil rights, by nearly half as the agency tries to expand quickly.

The Trump administration has denied these claims. Meanwhile, foreign policy analysts have been tracking how a potential war with Iran could unfold under Trump’s leadership, adding further pressure to an already stretched administration.