Trump Administration's Mass Firing of Immigration Judges Undermines Judicial Independence
The Trump administration has terminated eight immigration judges in New York City alone, part of a sweeping purge that has removed 98 judges nationwide since January, according to the National Association of Immigration Judges.
The latest dismissals targeted judges working at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, including Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Amiena Khan, who supervised other judges at the facility. This systematic removal of experienced jurists raises serious concerns about the independence of our immigration court system.
A Crisis of Judicial Independence
The scale of these firings is unprecedented. With approximately 700 immigration judges at the start of the year, the nation now operates with fewer than 600, even as Congress authorized funding for 800 permanent judges in legislation signed by Trump himself in July.
Three fired judges previously told CBS News the dismissals were "arbitrary, unfair" and "an attack on the rule of law." Their concerns reflect a broader pattern of political interference in what should be an independent judicial process.
Lowering Standards, Increasing Control
The administration has simultaneously loosened qualifications for temporary immigration judges, abandoning the previous requirement of a decade of immigration law experience. This move allows the Justice Department to install less experienced attorneys who may be more aligned with the administration's hardline immigration agenda.
The Pentagon is even considering deploying up to 600 military attorneys as temporary immigration judges, a militarization of civilian courts that should alarm anyone concerned about due process.
Justice Delayed, Justice Denied
These firings come as immigration courts face a staggering backlog of 3.4 million cases. Removing experienced judges while cases pile up creates a system designed to fail, potentially denying fair hearings to asylum seekers and other vulnerable populations.
The Justice Department defended the firings, claiming they are "restoring integrity" after what they characterized as the Biden administration's "de facto amnesty." This framing reveals the administration's view of immigration judges as political actors rather than independent arbiters of law.
Defending Democratic Institutions
The mass firing of immigration judges represents more than personnel changes. It's a direct assault on judicial independence and due process rights that form the foundation of our democratic system. When judges can be dismissed for decisions the executive branch dislikes, the rule of law itself is at stake.
As citizens committed to democratic values, we must demand that our immigration courts operate free from political interference. The integrity of our judicial system depends on judges who can make decisions based on law and evidence, not political pressure from above.