Brain Drain Afflicts DOJ Unit Defending Trump on Immigration The Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, a key unit tasked with defending President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, has faced significant attrition over the past year, with roughly a third of its attorneys leaving their posts. This exodus, which includes the departure of mid-level to senior legal professionals, has raised concerns about the unit’s capacity to handle ongoing litigation, particularly as cases related to the administration’s mandatory detention policies approach the Supreme Court. The office, which once employed over 300 attorneys at the start of Trump’s second term, has seen at least 100 depart since January 2025, according to former employees. The attrition has been attributed to a combination of factors, including an overwhelming caseload, leadership changes, and internal tensions. Former attorneys described a growing sense of demoralization, exacerbated by the ousting of several senior figures, including veteran DOJ litigator Erez Reuveni, who was fired in April 2025. Reuveni, a whistleblower, had accused senior DOJ leaders of coordinating to defy court orders in deportation cases, an allegation the department denied. The departures have forced the DOJ to rely on politically appointed counsel from the Civil Division’s front office to handle immigration cases, according to a Bloomberg Law analysis of court records. The Office of Immigration Litigation has played a central role in defending the administration’s immigration policies, including the thousands of habeas cases involving detained migrants and litigation over Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man mistakenly deported to a Salvadoran prison.#justice_department #donald_trump #supreme_court #erez_reuveni #civil_division
