The Justice Department has proposed giving federal immigration judges the authority to hold attorneys, migrants and witnesses in contempt for violating court orders, marking a significant expansion of the powers of courts that are part of the executive branch. Gregory Chen of the American Immigration Lawyers Association called the proposal "constitutionally flawed," arguing it targets immigration attorneys while shielding government lawyers. The proposal comes as the administration continues to reshape the immigration court system. Citizenship and Immigration Services to send many affirmative asylum cases directly to immigration court without first requiring an interview with a trained asylum officer. The immigration courts are also contending with a broader backlog of more than 3.5 million cases.