Eight Immigration Judges in NYC Dismissed by Trump Administration

As reported by CBS News, a decision to remove eight immigration judges located within New York City was made under the Trump administration, according to an inside source from the National Association of Immigration Judges.

These judges operated from the immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza, the same venue as the headquarters for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the city, the source mentioned.

Among those dismissed was Amiena Khan, who served as an assistant chief immigration judge at the same location, responsible for overseeing fellow judges.

The association official noted that, since the year began, a total of 98 judges have been dismissed nationwide, which includes 12 in assistant chief roles. The number of those who have opted for early retirement or have resigned is nearly equivalent.

A representative for the Executive Office for Immigration Review, under the Justice Department's jurisdiction, chose not to provide comments on these personnel decisions.

Reported initially by The New York Times, these developments were brought to light on Monday.

The initial count of immigration judges at the year's start was approximately 700, but now fewer than 600 remain, stated the association representative. In contrast, a legislative measure approved in Congress and signed by President Trump aimed to establish 800 immigration judges along with support teams.

Since January, the Justice Department has designated 11 new full-time judges and 25 provisional judges, primarily with military experience, for six-month stints, per the official.

A Justice Department spokesperson, via email to CBS News, remarked on the Biden Administration's previous influence, claiming they had softened immigration enforcement for countless individuals. The spokesperson emphasized the Department's commitment to revamping the system to enhance public safety and national security.

In July, three judges reacted to their dismissal as unjust, arbitrary, and a direct assault on legal principles, as reported by CBS News. At the time, the Justice Department chose not to respond to union charges regarding the unjustified firings.

With the immigration courts burdened by over 3.4 million pending cases, recent months saw confirmation of military personnel serving temporary judge roles.

In a recent policy shift, temporary judge eligibility was broadened by the Trump administration to include more government legal professionals, as detailed in a Federal Register entry. The Department no longer sees the need for limiting temporary roles to experienced immigration law practitioners.