Ximena Bustillo
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The new immigration judges were hired to work across the Justice Department's 70 immigration courts.
Last year, the Trump administration fired over 100 judges and several more resigned or retired, resulting in a 25% drop in the number of judges to hear immigrants' cases.
On the day the new cohort was announced, several immigration judges, including in New York and Concord, were terminated.
In a statement announcing the new class, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch said that the administration is committed to reestablishing an immigration judge corps that is dedicated to restoring the rule of law in the immigration system.
There has been pressure on judges to reduce a 3 million case backlog.
The new immigration judges were hired to work across the Justice Department's 70 immigration courts.
Last year, the Trump administration fired over 100 judges and several more resigned or retired, resulting in a 25% drop in the number of judges to hear immigrants' cases.
On the day the new cohort was announced, several immigration judges, including in New York and Concord, were terminated.
In a statement announcing the new class, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch said that the administration is committed to reestablishing an immigration judge corps that is dedicated to restoring the rule of law in the immigration system.
There has been pressure on judges to reduce a 3 million case backlog.
Ventrella most recently worked for the department overseeing contracts between ICE and various detention facilities.
He previously worked for ICE during the Obama and George W. Bush administrations.
He left the agency to work for GeoGroup, a private prison company that contracts with the federal government for immigration detention.
The selection comes as leadership at DHS led by new secretary Mark Wayne Mullen are looking to shift away from controversial surges of enforcement and build up detention and deportation capacity.
Ventrella will inherit a much larger workforce.
About 12,000 new employees were added in the last year.
Ximena Bustillo, NPR News, Washington.