The Trump administration has appointed 33 new immigration judges, with many coming from military backgrounds. They took the oath on Thursday and will serve across courts in 15 states including Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas. This follows an earlier October hiring of 36 judges, including 25 temporary ones also from the military. Indian-origin historian Varad Mehta shared on X that the administration plans to launch a fast-track regulation to reduce appeal times for immigration judge decisions to just 10 days. “This may matter more in the end than what ICE does,” Mehta said. The Department of Justice said these appointments restore "integrity to our immigration system" after what they called the Biden administration’s poor hiring practices. A DOJ spokesperson stated, "We are proud to welcome these talented immigration judges to join in our mission of protecting national security and public safety." Half of the new permanent judges have military experience, and all temporary judges are military personnel serving up to six months. This is in line with the Pentagon's September plan where military and civilian lawyers assist as judges under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Since Trump’s second term began, over 100 of about 700 immigration judges nationwide have been removed or pushed out. The American Immigration Lawyers Association warns this harms court capacity amid a growing backlog. By the end of 2023, roughly 3.2 million immigration cases awaited review, according to nonprofit Mobile Pathways. Meanwhile, the administration tightened migrant detention rules, detaining more people instead of releasing them on bond. This followed a Board of Immigration Appeals ruling in September that many federal judges criticized for its strictness. Varad Mehta, who highlighted the fast-track appeal regulation, is a historian focusing on the 18th century and how history is used today. He is based in the US but originally from India.