The Trump administration has initiated the termination of the remaining U.S. attorneys appointed during the Biden administration, signaling a rapid shift in federal law enforcement priorities.
According to multiple sources familiar with the move, the dismissals were executed without coordination with the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, marking a significant departure from past transitions.
Holdover U.S. attorneys who had served under former Attorney General Merrick Garland received termination notices from the White House on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, effective immediately.
Sources, speaking on condition of anonymity told Bloomberg Law that the dismissals were conveyed in a brief, one-sentence message citing the directive of President Donald J. Trump.
The abrupt nature of the removals has led to confusion in at least one office regarding the continuity of case management and court filings.
The removal of previous administrations’ U.S. attorneys is a customary practice when a new president takes office. However, past transitions have typically involved advanced coordination to ensure a smooth succession plan. For example, the Biden administration directed U.S. attorneys to step down on February 9, 2021, while the previous Trump administration ordered the dismissal of Obama-era appointees on March 10, 2017.
It remains unclear how many of the remaining Biden-appointed U.S. attorneys were impacted by the latest round of firings. Some had already resigned voluntarily over the past several months, but Wednesday’s actions are expected to accelerate the implementation of new Trump-era law enforcement priorities, particularly in areas such as immigration enforcement and public safety.
Among those dismissed were U.S. attorneys in Seattle, San Francisco, and Baltimore-based Erek Barron. Barron’s tenure reportedly faced internal challenges, with Bloomberg Law reporting an exodus of experienced prosecutors due to dissatisfaction with his leadership style. The dismissals also included at least one court-appointed U.S. attorney who had not been confirmed by the Senate—a highly unusual move, according to legal experts.
This latest action follows a series of aggressive personnel changes within the DOJ, with career officials perceived as obstacles to Trump’s policy objectives being pushed out.
Additionally, DOJ headquarters recently directed U.S. attorneys to justify the retention of prosecutors hired in the past two years who do not align with the administration’s focus areas, particularly immigration and public safety. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove has also ordered U.S. attorneys to compile lists of prosecutors willing to be reassigned to border districts, further underscoring the administration’s emphasis on immigration enforcement.
DOJ officials have not yet provided a public statement regarding the firings or the broader strategy behind these actions. Legal observers are closely monitoring the implications for federal prosecutions and broader law enforcement policies nationwide.
