Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens as President Donald Trump speaks during an event signing a proclamation honoring the fourth anniversary of the attack at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan, in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved sending up to 600 military lawyers to the Justice Department to serve as temporary immigration judges, according to a memo reviewed by The Associated Press.

The military will begin sending groups of 150 attorneys — both military and civilians — to the Justice Department “as soon as practicable” and the military services should have the first round of people identified by next week, according to the memo, dated Aug. 27.

The move is being done at the request of the DOJ, and the memo noted that the details will initially last no more than 179 days but can be renewable.

When asked about the move, a DOJ spokesperson referred questions about the plan to the Defense Department. Pentagon officials directed questions to the White House.

A White House official said Tuesday that the Trump administration is looking at a variety of options to help resolve the significant backlog of immigration cases, including hiring additional immigration judges. The official said the matter should be “a priority that everyone — including those waiting for adjudication — can rally around.”

Associated Press writers Will Weissert and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.