• Military services directed to identify 40 JAG officers with 25 selected for federal prosecution roles
• Deployment follows resignation of at least six federal prosecutors over Justice Department handling of ICE shooting
• Part of escalating pattern draining Pentagon legal resources across immigration enforcement operations nationwide

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (TDR) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is mobilizing 25 military attorneys to serve as federal prosecutors in Minneapolis, the latest deployment draining Pentagon legal resources to support the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations across the country.

Hegseth directed military services to identify 40 Judge Advocate General officers, from which 25 will be selected to serve as special assistant United States attorneys in Minneapolis, according to an emailed request reviewed by CNN. The attorneys should ideally have significant experience in criminal prosecution, civil litigation, administrative law or immigration law.

Deployment Follows Prosecutorial Exodus

The military lawyer deployment comes as approximately 1,000 additional U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents prepare to deploy to Minneapolis, where tensions between federal and local law enforcement have intensified following the January 7 fatal shooting of 37-year-old mother Renee Nicole Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.

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At least six federal prosecutors in the District of Minnesota resigned last week amid White House pressure to focus the probe into Good’s shooting on her actions rather than the agent’s conduct. Former acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson, who frequently handled investigations with political implications, was among those who resigned.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara called the resignations “very concerning,” describing the departed prosecutors as “incredibly dedicated” senior leadership. “I believe they did everything they could to continue to do the right thing for the people of this state and for our country,” O’Hara said.

Pattern of Military Legal Mobilization

The Minneapolis deployment represents the fourth major transfer of Pentagon legal personnel to support immigration enforcement in recent months. In September, Hegseth authorized up to 600 military lawyers to serve as temporary immigration judges around the country in phases of 150 at a time.

In October, Hegseth ordered an additional 48 attorneys and four paralegals for Memphis and border locations including El Paso, Del Rio, Midland and Las Cruces. The Justice Department requested 20 lawyers for Memphis, where the National Guard has been deployed, and 12 for West Texas.

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Last August, the Pentagon planned to detail 20 JAGs to Washington D.C. in what then-U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said was aimed at “fighting and reducing crime in the district.”

JAG Corps Resources Under Strain

One official familiar with the JAG Corps told CNN that the increased detailing of military lawyers to the Justice Department is depleting valuable Pentagon resources. “We don’t have enough attorneys to fill regular jobs in the JAG Corps because so many are exiting,” the official said. “This continued demand for SAUSAs is bleeding legal resources from the military.”

Another person familiar with the corps said 25 JAGs represents a huge number to send to one city, particularly given existing staffing shortages within the military legal system.

Army Major General Bobby Christine, the Army’s top lawyer, sent an email promoting the assignments as offering “unparalleled opportunity to refine your advocacy, courtroom procedure, and functional knowledge of the federal legal system.” Christine described the work as “in support of national priorities.”

Involuntary Mobilization Possible

However, Hegseth’s memo indicates that military services only had until Thursday to identify attorneys and alluded to troops being subject to involuntary mobilization orders if insufficient volunteers came forward.

A Pentagon official told CNN the department is “proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our law enforcement and Department of Justice partners,” adding that the military lawyers will assist the U.S. attorney’s office in “their prosecutorial mission.”

Immigration Court Backlog Context

The Trump administration’s reliance on military legal personnel comes as the immigration court system struggles with a backlog of approximately 3.5 million cases while simultaneously experiencing judge departures. More than 100 immigration judges have been fired or left voluntarily after the Trump administration took office.

Before the September authorization, there were approximately 600 immigration judges nationwide, meaning the Pentagon move to deploy 600 military lawyers as temporary judges effectively doubled judicial capacity. The military lawyers’ initial assignments last no more than 179 days but can be renewed.

The American Immigration Lawyers Association criticized the use of military attorneys without immigration law expertise, with executive director Ben Johnson stating: “Expecting fair decisions from judges unfamiliar with the law is absurd. This reckless move guts due process and further undermines the integrity of our immigration court system.”

How will the depletion of JAG Corps resources affect military justice system operations?

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