The Trump administration has dismissed at least 20 immigration judges, including 13 who were still in their probationary period, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Requests for an explanation were sent to the White House and the Department of Justice on Monday.

Over the weekend, one of the dismissed judges shared her experience on LinkedIn, stating that her termination came despite the immigration court facing a backlog of approximately 3.5 million cases. She pointed out that the Department of Justice has been requesting additional funding to hire more personnel, adding, “Hint: don’t fire the people you already have.”

A recent report highlighted the severity of the immigration court backlog, citing a 2023 Congressional Research Service study. The study found that with 3.7 million pending cases—where immigrants are either seeking asylum or fighting deportation—adding 300 judges would still leave the backlog unresolved for a decade. It estimated that at least 700 additional judges, bringing the total to over 1,300, would be needed to clear the backlog by 2032.

Retired immigration judge James Fujimoto commented on the situation, explaining that immigration courts have long been underfunded. He noted that because they operate under the Department of Justice, case priorities often shift based on the administration in power.

When asked about the Trump administration’s pledge to expedite deportations, Fujimoto said, “There is only so much you can do. You can prioritize certain types of cases, but that’s within the discretion of whoever is in charge.”