Pentagon To Detail Up To 600 Military Lawyers As Temporary Immigration Judges — Critics Warn Of Militarizing Courts

The Pentagon plans to assign up to 600 military lawyers to U.S. immigration courts to help address a backlog of roughly 3.5 million cases, effectively doubling the adjudicatory workforce but relying on personnel without specialized immigration-law experience. The Justice Department has eased qualification rules to allow lawyers from disciplinary tribunals to serve as temporary immigration judges, a change critics say blurs civilian–military boundaries and risks militarizing the system. Advocates point out that new case filings have fallen and that approval rates in military jurisdictions are far lower, raising doubts about the emergency rationale and potential political motives ahead of the 2026 elections. The move is likely to be concentrated in southern states such as Texas and Florida, where opponents warn it will deepen mistrust and undermine due process. Observers argue that sustainable reform requires transparent, civilian-led solutions rather than military involvement.