As of 2026, the approximate cost for the U.S. government to hire one new immigration judge position (including a judge and support staff) is estimated to be over $760,000 annually in associated costs. Other estimates suggest the cost for a full "IJ team" can reach up to $1.83 million per judge depending on overhead, the specific location, and court expansion requirements.
This figure includes the judge's salary, benefits, support staff (e.g., attorneys and court staff), and associated overhead costs like courtroom space and facilities.
Cost
Breakdown
Salary: The average salary for an immigration judge in the U.S. for 2026 is approximately $155,890 per year, though this can vary by location. The salary range for federal immigration judges can go as high as $197,200 for top-level Administrative Law Judges (ALJ).
Support
Staff and Overhead: The budget for hiring new judges usually includes full
"IJ teams" (judge plus support staff), as well as funding for opening
and expanding courtrooms. The bulk of the cost beyond the judge's salary is
dedicated to these resources. For instance, a 2022 allocation of over $760
million was designated to hire 100 immigration judges plus staff and open new
courtrooms, which averages to over $7.6 million per judge in initial
allocation, with ongoing annual costs being lower but still substantial.
Hiring more judges is often cited as a measure to reduce the significant case backlog, which can save the government money in other areas, such as immigrant detention costs. The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), which manages the immigration courts, receives a specific budget for these hirings, and ongoing reports include detailed cost breakouts for these judge teams.
In 2026, the estimated cost of hiring new immigration judges is part of a larger federal funding package aimed at expanding the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).
Projected
Costs for 2026
Total
Allocation: Approximately $1.25 billion has been designated for
the EOIR to hire new immigration judges and support staff, as well as to expand
courtroom capacity and infrastructure.
Cost
per Judge Team: Historically, the Department of Justice has requested
around $1.73 million per new immigration judge team (which includes
one judge plus support staff and attorneys).
Total Budget Request: The broader 2026 budget request for the federal judicial branch is $9.4 billion, a 9.3% increase from 2025.
Hiring
Caps and Salaries
Salaries: As
of January 2026, the average annual salary for an individual immigration judge
is approximately $155,890, with the top 10% of earners making over
$159,951.
Impact on Hiring Limits: Recent legislation has placed a cap on the number of new immigration judges at 800 over the next three and a half years.
Individual
Case Backlog
Efficiency
Goal: Each additional 500 judges is estimated to increase the number of
cases completed annually by approximately 254,813, which would help reduce
the current backlog of over 2.4 million cases.
Support Ratios: Funding usually includes "teams" to ensure judges have the necessary clerical and legal assistance to process cases effectively.
https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+the+cost+of+hiring+new+immigration+judges+in+2026
Comments
We do not need a “full employment bill” for Lawyers, we need to cut all costs.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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