Up to 600 military lawyers may serve as immigration judges temporarily at the direction of the Defense Department.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved groups of 150 military and civilian attorneys to be provided to the Justice Department, according to a memo dated Aug. 27 reviewed by The Associated Press. (MSNBC has not seen the memo.) The New York Times last week reported similar movement across the two branches that cited “more than half a dozen current and former officials.”

“At the request of the Department of Justice, the Department of Defense is identifying qualified Judge Advocates and civilian attorneys for details to serve as Temporary Immigration Judges,” Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told MSNBC on Tuesday. “These DOD attorneys will augment existing resources to help further combat a backlog of cases by presiding over immigration hearings. The Department remains committed to continuing our support for our interagency partners, bringing the skill and dedication of America’s service members and civil servants to deliver justice, restore order, and protect the American people.”

There are nearly 3.7 million active immigration cases.

The Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review changed a rule last week that required temporary immigration judges to have immigration law experience. “Immigration law experience is not always a strong predictor of success as an IJ [immigration judge], and EOIR has hired individuals from other federal agencies and department components without prior immigration experience who have become successful and exemplary IJs,” the notice said.

The Justice Department has fired the acting head of the immigration court system, top officials and nearly 100 judges since President Donald Trump returned to office this year.

Trump campaigned on a promise to significantly curb immigration and carry out the “largest deportation operation in the history of our country.”