Trump Governance Fires 8 Immigration Judges in New York City, Official Says
NEW YORK – The Justice Department has fired eight immigration judges in New York City, according to a National Association of Immigration Judges official, sparking concerns about the independence of the immigration courts. The firings come as the immigration court system faces a significant backlog of over 3.4 million cases and struggles with staffing shortages.
The dismissals are part of a broader effort by the Biden administration to “restore integrity” to the immigration system, according to a Justice department spokesperson, who stated the previous administration had enacted a “de facto amnesty” for hundreds of thousands of immigrants.
Three judges who were recently fired spoke to CBS News in July, describing the terminations as ”arbitrary, unfair” and “an attack on the rule of law.” the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers union alleged the firings were made without cause, but the Justice Department declined to comment on the allegations at the time.
The immigration court system is currently operating with fewer than 600 permanent immigration judges, despite a 2019 tax bill signed by President Trump that authorized funding for 800 permanent judges and supporting staff.As January, the Justice Department has hired 11 new permanent judges and 25 temporary judges with military backgrounds on six-month terms.
In late august, the Trump administration loosened requirements for temporary immigration judges, allowing a wider range of government lawyers to serve in the role. A new rule published in the Federal Register removed the previous requirement that temporary judges have at least a decade of immigration law experience or prior experience as an immigration judge. The Justice Department now believes restricting temporary judges to those with extensive immigration law backgrounds ”does not serve [the Executive office for Immigration Review’s] interests.”
The Pentagon is also considering authorizing up to 600 military attorneys to serve as temporary immigration judges, a defense official confirmed to CBS News in September.
