SAN DIEGO — In a significant move to reduce the size of the federal workforce, the Trump administration has terminated 20 immigration judges without providing any explanation, as indicated by a union representative on Saturday.

On Friday, the dismissals included 13 judges who had not yet taken their oaths, along with five assistant chief immigration judges, according to Matthew Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, which represents federal employees. In addition, two judges were let go under similar conditions just a week prior.

It remains uncertain whether the positions will be filled again. The Executive Office for Immigration Review, which manages the courts and oversees approximately 700 judges, did not respond to requests for comments regarding the firings.

Currently, immigration courts are grappling with a staggering backlog of over 3.7 million cases, as reported by Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. The delays in resolving asylum cases can stretch for years, and there exists bipartisan agreement on the need for additional judges and support staff. Nonetheless, the earlier Trump administration had pressured some judges to expedite their case decisions.

Recently, the Trump administration replaced five senior court officials, including the acting director, Mary Cheng. The current director, Sirce Owen, who has previously served as an appellate immigration judge, has begun implementing numerous new directives, many of which reverse policies established by the Biden administration.

Last month, the Justice Department initially revoked financial aid to non-governmental organizations that assist individuals facing deportation but restored funding after a consortium of nonprofit organizations initiated a federal lawsuit.

The recent firings resonate with two major objectives of the Trump administration: enforcing mass deportations and reducing the federal workforce. On Thursday, an order was issued requiring agencies to terminate nearly all probationary employees who lacked civil service protections, a move that could impact hundreds of thousands of individuals. Generally, probationary employees have been on the job for less than a year.

Biggs expressed uncertainty as to whether the dismissals aimed to convey a particular message regarding immigration policy. He portrayed these actions as part of a broader campaign affecting the entire federal workforce.

“These actions dehumanize these individuals,” he stated. “It’s detrimental overall.”