By Prime Path Immigration Law Firm Limited USA, on Immigration Updates
The Trump administration has fired approximately 70 immigration judges while bringing on dozens of new ones as part of its strategy to increase mass deportations. NPR's analysis reveals that the judges with the largest share of prior experience representing immigrants were disproportionately affected by these terminations, while newly hired judges tend to have backgrounds in immigration enforcement, the military, and federal service rather than immigrant defense.
Several judges who were terminated reported being fired without explanation during active hearings, including some cases where they were escorted from the building mid-case. Among those dismissed, many speculated that their prior experience defending immigrants may have been the reason for their dismissal, though the Justice Department stated it doesn't target judges based on their professional background.
Former immigration judges and legal experts raise concerns that this restructuring undermines the independence of immigration courts, which operate within the executive branch alongside enforcement agencies. They argue that the rapid firings and replacement of judges with enforcement-focused appointees could compromise the limited due process protections available to immigrants and potentially skew the fairness of the courts as the administration pushes to process more deportation cases.
For more information on this, and other immigration matters, contact the attorneys at Prime Path Immigration Law Firm Limited USA today.
Reference:
Joe Kelley, Tex Ximena Bustillo, A Deep Dive Into the Trump Administration's Firing of Immigration Judges, NPR (Nov. 5, 2025), https://www.npr.org/2025/11/05/nx-s1-5584095/a-deep-dive-into-the-trump-administrations-firing-of-immigration-judges
