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Original Date Announced
July 1, 2025The Miami Herald reports that President Trump approved Governor Ron DeSantis's plan to deputize Florida National Guard Judge Advocate General Corps officers to act as immigration judges. The announcement came during the President's visit to a new state-run detention center, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," in Florida. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who was instrumental in planning the detention center, described the system as a "one stop shop for immigration enforcement . . . [c]ome in, get your 'process,' and fly out." Deportation flights are planned to depart directly from the center's airstrip.
Trump 2.0 [ID #1841]
2025.05.12 Florida - Immigration Enforcement Operations Plan 2025.07.01 Reported: Trump approves using National Guard as immigration judges at Florida detention center - Miami HeraldCurrent Status
NoneOriginal Trump Policy Status
Status: Reported Final/ActualTrump Administration Action: Change in PracticeSubject Matter: Hearings and AdjudicationsAgencies Affected: EOIRAssociated or Derivative Policies
Documents
Trump-Era Policy Documents
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New Policy
Original Source:
2025.05.12 Florida - Immigration Enforcement Operations Plan
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Commentary
2025.07.09 Mother Jones - Experts Question the Legality of Deploying National Guard Officers as Immigration Judges
Mother Jones reports that former JAGs have raised legal concerns about deployment of National Guard officers as immigration judges. Some argue that so deploying JAGs would violate the Posse Comitatus Act prohibiting using the federal military to enforce domestic laws. Others are concerned about the judges' impartiality.
Go to article2025.11.25 Just Security - Soldiers in Robes: Why Military Lawyers Can Not and Should Not Serve as Immigration Judges
Legal scholars argue that using JAGs to adjudicate civil immigration cases "violate[s] federal law and breach[es] [the] foundational American principle" that "separat[es] military authority from civilian governance." Moreover, because JAGs serving as immigration judges are still "subject to military law and discipline via the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)," their decisions could be influenced by outside pressure, creating due process concerns.
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