Trump Admin Dismisses Another Immigration Judge in San Fransciso
The Justice Department has now dismissed six San Francisco immigration judges since President Trump took office. This pattern appears to target adjudicators with backgrounds in immigrant defense or those with higher-than-average asylum approval rates.
The latest judge, Shira Levine, was terminated without explanation this week. Her dismissal follows five others since April, including Judges Chloe Dillon and Elisa Brasil.
Dillon learned of her firing via a brief email. She was forced to immediately hand off her docket of 6,000 cases. The judges say their removals were not a surprise, as Trump administration policy treats federal employees as at-will.
Reports indicate five of the six dismissed judges had asylum approval rates significantly above the national average. All had prior experience representing immigrants in court.
Former Judge Dana Leigh Marks stated the firings seem “completely ideologically based.” She believes the DOJ is targeting independent judges who listen to both sides rather than automatically accepting government assertions.
Data shows Judges Levine and Dillon had approval rates over 96%, compared to a national average of about 50%. Experts note the high rates partly reflect different standards and better legal representation for seekers in San Francisco.
The DOJ has also recently dropped the requirement for temporary judges to have immigration law experience. Furthermore, it authorized 600 military lawyers to serve in these judicial roles.
