President Donald Trump’s administration has approved the deployment of 600 military lawyers as temporary immigration judges to fast-track deportation cases, a move that has sparked concern among thousands of undocumented immigrants living in the United States.
The U.S. Pentagon, through Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, 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 civilian, to the Justice Department “as soon as practicable,” with the first round of personnel expected to be identified by next week, according to the memo.
Under U.S. law, immigration judges are the only authorities who can revoke a green card or issue a final order of removal for people who have been in the country for more than two years and are in the process of being deported.
The military lawyers will receive approximately two weeks of training to serve as temporary immigration judges, according to the U.S. Defence Secretary.
U.S. media have reported that Trump’s government has been in quiet negotiations with more than 50 countries, including several in Africa, to accept deportees considered undesirable by their home nations.
Earlier this year, it was reported that more than 1,200 Kenyans in the U.S. were issued with final orders after exhausting their legal options, placing them on the radar of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The latest effort comes as the Trump administration appears to be turning to the military and other ‘coercive’ measures in its crackdown on undocumented immigration, including ramped-up apprehensions and deportations.
Four days ago, the U.S. unveiled a new sweeping housing policy that could lock out thousands of undocumented immigrants from public housing support, dealing a major blow to many migrant families, including Kenyans living in the U.S.
In a statement signed by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner, all Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) were instructed to submit, within 30 days, a comprehensive report of all tenants residing in HUD-funded housing or receiving Section 8 vouchers.
The directive now requires full identification of all beneficiaries, including their names, mailing addresses, unit costs, number of bedrooms, and, most critically, proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful immigration status.
Last month, a Kenyan man made the difficult decision to leave the U.S. and return to Kenya after 16 years in the West. The Kenyan, identified as Samuel Kangethe, revealed that his decision to 'self-deport' was prompted by fears that the Trump administration’s tightening immigration laws would eventually catch up with him.
