The judges’ union estimated that as many as 10,000 hearings will not happen this year because of the lost work. Kerry Doyle sat in an immigration courtroom observing a fellow judge finish a hearing in an asylum case late on a recent Friday afternoon when she received an email with an attachment titled “terminated.

The Trump administration fired five judges from federal immigration courts in Texas, according to a union representing them, raising concerns that existing case backlogs will worsen and the administration will expand its reliance on fast-track deportations that avoid courts altogether.

Kerry Doyle sat in an immigration courtroom observing a fellow judge finish a hearing in an asylum case late on a recent Friday afternoon when she received an email with an attachment titled “terminated.

In addition to the 18 fired on Friday, the Trump administration had fired two immigration judges earlier in the week, a union official said on Saturday.

A union representing the judges said it “makes no sense” to make cuts to immigration courts as Trump promises to carry out mass deportations, which must go through the courts.