DOJ faces record immigration caseloads as attorney staff dwindles under Trump

Data obtained from the Justice Department indicate that immigration case filings have reached record highs during Donald Trump’s administration, while the agency’s staffing has sharply declined. The Office of Immigration Litigation, which once employed roughly 320 attorneys at the start of the second term, now has only 243, a loss of nearly 80 lawyers, even as its docket grew from about 7,700 to nearly 9,500 cases. Factors driving the surge include a dramatic drop in asylum approvals, the removal of bond hearings for migrants, and a flood of habeas petitions from individuals detained without criminal histories.

Additionally, the department announced filing 40 denaturalization complaints in a short period and set internal goals for hundreds more. A former OIL staffer confirmed that attorneys have been leaving in large numbers across the civil division, compounding the workload for the remaining staff. The administration has also reshaped immigration courts, replacing many judges, further straining the department’s capacity.