Senate Democrats raise concerns over Pentagon plan to use military lawyers as immigration judges
A group of Democratic senators say they are deeply concerned that a Pentagon plan to allow military lawyers to work as temporary immigration judges will violate a ban on using service members for law enforcement and affect the military justice system. They also have concerns that pulling lawyers away from the military justice system will have negative effects on recent reforms and prosecutions. The letter signed by 12 Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee was sent to the military services Monday. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved sending up to 600 military lawyers to the Justice Department to serve as temporary immigration judges. The Trump administration has used the military in broad ways, particularly in its immigration crackdown.