Immigration Judges Sue Trump Administration Over Mass Firings
Lawsuit alleges unlawful terminations worsen immigration court backlog.
WASHINGTON—Thirteen immigration judges, fired by the Trump administration in February 2025, have filed a class action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), alleging their terminations were unlawful and bypassed federal regulations. The dismissals, part of a broader wave of firings across the federal government, have raised concerns about the administration’s approach to an already backlogged immigration court system.
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The judges, appointed in late 2024 during the final months of the Biden administration, had completed the hiring process, received court assignments, and were preparing for training when they were terminated on February 14, 2025. The DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), which oversees immigration courts, cited “budget constraints” and classified the judges as probationary employees, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court. “The simultaneous termination of all 13 judges, without individualized performance assessments, constitutes a misuse of probationary status to bypass federal regulations that govern workforce reductions,” the lawsuit argues.
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