Pentagon authorizes up to 600 military lawyers to serve as temporary immigration judges
Source: AP
WASHINGTON (AP) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved sending up to 600 military lawyers to the Justice Department to serve as temporary immigration judges, according to a memo reviewed by The Associated Press.
The military will begin sending groups of 150 attorneys both military and civilians to the Justice Department as soon as practicable, and the military services should have the first round of people identified by next week, according to the Aug. 27 memo.
The effort comes as the Trump administration is cracking down on illegal immigration by ramping up arrests and deportations. And immigration courts already are dealing with a massive backlog of roughly 3.5 million cases that has ballooned in recent years.
At the same time, more than 100 immigration judges have been fired or left voluntarily after taking deferred resignations offered by the Trump administration, their union says. In the most recent round of terminations, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers said in July that at least 17 immigration judges had been fired without cause in courts across the country.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-immigration-judges-trump-pete-hegseth-b07950833591270b926ad86ede8b961f

twodogsbarking
(15,741 posts)Why do they need so many? I'm sure there is a legitimate reason.
TomSlick
(12,714 posts)Are you suggesting that Judge Advocates are not "real" lawyers?
Between active duty and reserve duty, I spent 28 years as an Army Judge Advocate. All judge advocates have graduated from an ABA accredited law school and passed their state bar exam. I served with brilliant lawyers and some not so brilliant - just like the civilian bar.
twodogsbarking
(15,741 posts)I am suggesting that they hire "attorneys" with no I D and wearing masks. Must you be so aggressive?
TomSlick
(12,714 posts)Military lawyer is not the same as "military lawyer."
I'm not being aggressive, simply inquisitive.
twodogsbarking
(15,741 posts)Attilatheblond
(7,256 posts)Is that what this boils down to? Asking in all honesty as I hope I am wrong.
Lovie777
(20,228 posts)temporary judgeship appointments of lawyers in favor of shithole is not democracy.
riversedge
(77,763 posts)ashredux
(2,765 posts)James48
(4,940 posts)Military tribunals?
You cant use the military for LAW ENFORCEMENT.
Thats law enforcement.
TomSlick
(12,714 posts)I'm reasonably sure that there are no court decisions on the issue.
My initial thought is that a quasi-judicial function, like an immigration judge, is not law enforcement. But anyone's guess is as good as mine.
Bayard
(26,974 posts)Between him and the dictator of a crappy country he has an agreement with to take in deportees. He thinks it will give him a bit of legal patina.
Just because someone is an attorney doesn't mean they can judge. Oh, that's right--he's just looking for a rubber stamp.
Martin68
(26,458 posts)SeattleVet
(5,735 posts)What a fucking joke.
caraher
(6,347 posts)I'm wondering whether there's any individual risk for the appointees in terms of losing their right to practice law if they participate in sham proceedings or knowingly engage in practice outside their realm of expertise and competence.
Let's not forget that a dictator needs enablers, who can also be held to account.
LeftInTX
(33,891 posts)I'm sure the job is quite different than military lawyer.
Immigration judges are very subjective. (In a way, they're like juvenile, family law judges, where they try to balance things and look at the big picture. They can even take things such as supply and demand for immigrants, recommendations from friends and family into account etc) Military lawyers are probably not subjective at all.
cstanleytech
(27,940 posts)malaise
(289,046 posts)That is all
WmChris
(398 posts)Does that mean it will take a while to sort out the ones that will rule to deport anybody that comes before them.