Trump Administration Removes Dozens of Immigration Judges
Mass Dismissals
Roughly fifty immigration judges have been dismissed under President Donald Trump, signaling a sweeping attempt to reshape the U.S. immigration system.
The firings came in a brief email “just three lines, without detailed reasoning or formal hearings.”
Immigration courts, already overwhelmed by more than three million pending cases,
are now at the center of a political battle between Trump’s push for tougher enforcement and critics’ warnings of executive overreach.
Judges and Critics React
Among those removed was Judge Jennifer Peyton, who said,
“I had no disciplinary record, my reviews were strong, and I loved my work… I was blindsided.”
Senator Dick Durbin called the firings an “abuse of power.”
Another judge, Carla Espinoza, alleged discrimination after ruling to release a Mexican national accused of threatening Trump.
The judges’ union confirmed about fifty firings, with others pressured into retirement.
Its president, Matt Biggs, warned: “The rest feel threatened.”
Supporters Defend the Move
Administration officials insist the action is lawful, as immigration courts fall under the Department of Justice.
“This is not retaliation. This is accountability,” said one official.
DHS’s Tricia McLaughlin added: “For years, certain judges openly flouted those laws by granting asylum at rates far above national averages.
That era is over.” Trump himself declared: “We are cleaning up the judicial swamp.”
Impact and Next Steps
Advocacy groups warn that “the role of an immigration judge is to serve justice, not politics,” arguing deportations could become unjust.
Legal scholars question whether mass dismissals undermine judicial impartiality.
Lawsuits are expected, but the administration is already working to appoint replacements, many with law enforcement backgrounds.
As Trump stated: “If you break our laws and come here illegally, you don’t get a free pass from activist judges anymore. The game is over.”