Two More Chicago Immigration Judges Fired as Court Becomes Epicenter of Removal Orders
This July 31 report (United States) describes the Trump administration’s dismissal of two additional judges at the Chicago Immigration Court, which has become the national leader in deportation orders. The article notes that the administration has fired more than 100 of the roughly 750 immigration judges in place at the start of the term while hiring 143 new ones, and that judges with backgrounds defending immigrants (and no prior Department of Homeland Security work history) made up a disproportionate share of the firings. Because immigration judges serve within the Department of Justice, the reshaping of the bench raises concerns about the politicization of adjudicators and the erosion of due process and impartiality within the legal system.