Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized the temporary deployment of up to 600 military lawyers to assist the Department of Justice by serving as immigration judges. According to an August 27 memo obtained by the Associated Press, the plan involves sending groups of 150 attorneys at a time, both military and civilian, with the first group to be selected and deployed imminently.
This decision aligns with the Trump administration’s broader use of military resources in its immigration crackdown. The military is already involved in various roles, including patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border, supporting immigration enforcement in cities, and using bases and aircraft for deportation operations. The deployment of lawyers aims to alleviate pressure on an immigration court system overwhelmed by a backlog of around 3.5 million cases.
The Justice Department made the formal request for help from the Pentagon. The memo notes that military attorneys may serve for up to 179 days, with the possibility of extension. However, this move has drawn significant criticism from immigration advocates and legal experts concerned about due process and legal qualifications.
100 immigration judges have recently left their positions due to dismissals or resignations. With only about 600 judges remaining, the deployment would effectively double the current workforce. Critics argue that using military lawyers with little to no immigration law experience could lead to unfair rulings and undermine the judicial process.
Ben Johnson, head of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, criticized the move, comparing it to assigning a cardiologist to perform orthopedic surgery. Former supervising judge Jennifer Peyton also questioned whether military attorneys could handle the heavy caseloads and complex legal issues typical of immigration courts.
There are also legal concerns regarding the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts military involvement in domestic law enforcement. Officials have not clarified how this large-scale reassignment might impact the military justice system or where the attorneys would be sourced from.
President Trump and Karoline Leavitt bashed CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan during an interview with another reporter in the White House — calling the “Face the Nation” host “stupid” and “nasty.”
During an interview Friday in the Oval Office, Trump spoke with Reagan Reese, White House correspondent at right-wing news site Daily Caller, about his gripes with mainstream media.
At one point, he took aim at Brennan, saying: “The woman on the ‘Face the Nation’ is so bad.”
Leavitt chimed in to supply the host’s name: “Margaret Brennan.”
“Margaret Brennan. What do you think of her?” Trump asked the White House press secretary.
Leavitt replied: “She’s stupid. You can put that on the record.”
Trump jabbed: “She’s nasty.”
The president added that he’s surprised that Secretary of State Marco Rubio continues to appear on Brennan’s show as a guest.
“The level of hatred, I’m surprised he goes on there, the level of hatred when they’re asking the question,” Trump said.
Earlier in the interview, Trump blasted CBS News over its controversially-edited “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris – which ultimately won Trump a $20 billion settlement over claims of election interference.
Nora O’Donnell – who was recently ousted from “CBS Evening News” after five years in the anchor seat – also caught flak from the president.
“It’s like if they had Nora O’Donnell, anybody could do this. You could take 50% of the women off the street, they’d do just as good,” Trump said.
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“Pay her 12 million a year, and she’s not going to be there very long. But if she’s not already out, I mean, she’s pretty close, I would say she’s pretty close.”
After delivering her last evening news sign-off earlier this year, O’Donnell has stayed on at the network to deliver long-form reporting and interviews for CBS’ “Sunday Morning” and “60 Minutes” programs.
The news anchor’s $8 million salary was slashed by more than half to $3.8 million when she re-signed a deal with the network in 2022, The Post previously reported.
Trump praised the audience at the Daily Caller – a right-wing news site founded in 2010 by Tucker Carlson and former Dick Cheney aide Neil Patel. Patel bought out Calson’s stake in 2020.
“People don’t realize how big our market is,” Trump said, referencing people who voted for him.