The Trump administration has recently removed 20 “midnight” immigration judges that the Biden administration had attempted to appoint in its final days, according to The Washington Times. This move involved the dismissal of 13 immigration judges appointed in late December and early January, as well as seven assistant chief immigration judges, all of whom were ousted on Friday, a Justice Department source revealed.

In a development that mirrors the earlier actions taken by the Biden administration upon its assumption of power in 2021—when it removed a number of last-minute Trump-appointed immigration judges—the Trump Justice Department has now undertaken a similar purge. Among those dismissed was Kerry Doyle, whose career trajectory is particularly notable. Previously a vocal critic of U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Doyle was later appointed as ICE’s principal legal adviser. During her tenure, she championed policies that favored a more lenient approach toward illegal immigrants. However, when the Biden administration attempted to convert her political appointment into a regular civil service position, it ultimately proved controversial.

As of Friday night, Doyle’s name remained on the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) court roster. EOIR, which has long been considered a politically neutral body responsible for overseeing immigration judges, has seen significant changes under the Biden administration. By 2023, the administration had removed six of the ten senior executive positions within EOIR,

further signaling its intent to reshape the organization according to its policy priorities. Additionally, more than ten immigration judges appointed during the Trump era were either dismissed at the end of their probationary periods or opted to resign rather than face termination.

A senior official at the Trump Justice Department explained that the recent dismissals were consistent with a precedent established by the Biden administration. “The Biden administration set a precedent by terminating numerous immigration judges during their term or trial periods for the first time in EOIR history. So, it’s not surprising that EOIR is following that precedent,” the official stated.

It is important to note that immigration judges, unlike those in the traditional judicial system, are employees of the EOIR. The judges and assistant chief judges who were recently dismissed had not yet undergone their full training programs or presided over any cases.

Their removal appears to be part of a broader effort to recalibrate the agency’s leadership and operational standards during a period of intense political transition.

These firings come just weeks after the Trump administration removed the leadership team appointed by President Biden at EOIR. In January, the acting director, the chief immigration judge, the general counsel, and the head of policy were all ousted by the Trump Justice Department.

This series of actions underscores a fierce and ongoing battle over the direction and independence of the agency, as both administrations vie to shape immigration enforcement in line with their respective ideologies.

President Trump ran on an aggressive immigration enforcement platform that included promises of “mass deportations”—a stance that continues to resonate with a significant portion of the American public. Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reveals that border crossings have fallen dramatically, with a reported 90 percent decrease compared to the same period last year.

According to The New York Post, CBP processed an average of only 359 illegal migrants per day, suggesting that the nation is on track to record the lowest monthly border crossings in at least 25 years. Should this trend persist, the total number of illegal migrants could soon reach levels not seen since 1968—a period nearly 60 years ago.

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, remarked that the current figures represent the lowest levels of border crossings in “almost a lifetime.” For example, data through February 11 indicates that only 3,953 illegal migrants have been encountered at the southern border. If these numbers continue, the monthly total could approach 10,000—a benchmark that has remained elusive since CBP began tracking data in 1999.

In contrast, the closest the nation came to this figure was in April 2017, during President Trump’s first term, when monthly crossings just exceeded 11,000. Meanwhile, the Pew Research Center noted that last year, southern border crossing encounters averaged around 4,850 per day.