The U.S. Justice Department has determined that multiple layers of removal restrictions shielding administrative law judges are unconstitutional and will no longer defend them in court, top officials said on Thursday.

The Justice Department said a law protecting the officials from arbitrary removal is an unconstitutional intrusion on presidential authority.

The U.S. Justice Department has declared that removal restrictions protecting administrative law judges are unconstitutional. Chad Mizelle emphasized the commitment to restoring constitutional accountability,

In a Feb. 20 letter, the acting solicitor general wrote that the “multiple layers of removal protections” for administrative law judges, or ALJs, constrained presidential authority in violation of Article II of the U.

The U.S. Justice Department has decided that the protection layers for administrative law judges are unconstitutional, ending its defense of them in court. This move aligns with President Trump and Elon Musk's efforts to reduce federal agencies' power and follows recent Supreme Court decisions that limit regulatory authority.

President Trump commuted Alice Johnson’s life sentence during his first term, and later pardoned her for her drug conviction. She will advise him on similar cases.

Three federal immigration judges in New Orleans were terminated from their jobs last week, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.

CBS News has found that more than 12,000 federal jobs have been eliminated or are expected to be terminated, including more than 6,000 IRS workers this week.