DOD Directs Military Lawyers to Serve as Temporary Immigration Judges

According to news media reporting, an August 27, 2025 Department of Defense (DOD) memorandum directed the military to begin sending groups of 150 attorneys — both military and civilians — to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to adjudicate immigration matters. The memorandum indicated that military lawyers’ will be reassigned to serve as DOJ immigration judges and that the appointment will initially last no more than 179 days, but can be renewed. The memorandum came at a time when the immigration courts were dealing with a significant backlog of immigration-related cases, and shortly after roughly 100 immigration judges were terminated by the Trump administration.