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Trump Fires Immigration Judges
The Trump administration fired multiple immigration judges, including two who had blocked the deportation of pro-Palestinian students.
“The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump fired additional immigration judges, including two female judges who had blocked the federal government’s attempts to deport students supportive of Palestinians”
The National Association of Immigration Judges confirmed the firings, calling them wrong and arbitrary.
Judge Roopal Patel of Boston and Judge Nina Froes of Chelmsford were dismissed just before the end of their two-year probationary periods.
Patel had blocked the deportation of Tufts PhD student Rümeysa Öztürk.
Froes had blocked the removal of Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi.
Patel told WCVB, It wasn't entirely unexpected, but it was during the hearing.
Students at the Center
The firings came after a year in which the Trump administration arrested and sought to deport dozens of students who had protested Israel's war on Gaza.
Öztürk was detained after co-writing an op-ed critical of her university's response to Israel's attacks on Palestinians.
She spent 45 days in ICE detention before Patel ruled there were no grounds to deport her.
Mahdawi was arrested immediately following his citizenship interview.
Froes blocked his deportation despite pressure from State Secretary Marco Rubio.
EOIR said judges must be impartial and neutral, and if a judge demonstrates systematic bias, EOIR is obligated to take action.
Political Retaliation?
Patel and Froes were appointed during the Biden administration and had previously worked in immigration defense.
“I think there’s a broader agenda of trying to reshape the immigration bench to be more reflective of the political agenda of the administration”
Patel said she thought no matter how she ruled, she would have been fired.
The Justice Department massively shifted resources toward arresting and prosecuting noncriminal immigrants.
The firings raised concerns about judicial independence.
Patel expressed concern about the direction of the courts.
Broader Crackdown
The judge firings were part of a broader Trump administration crackdown on pro-Palestinian voices.
The ACLU excoriated the Board of Immigration Appeals for gutting the institution.
Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil vowed to continue fighting.
Rights groups condemned the administration's actions as violations of due process and free speech.