Trump Administration Dismisses Dozens of Immigration Judges Amid Major Court Overhaul
The White House has removed roughly 50 immigration judges since early August and reassigned or pushed another 50 toward retirement, according to El País. The quiet shake-up, delivered through brief email notices, is part of an effort to speed up immigration cases and reduce a record 3 million-case backlog. No official announcement accompanied the dismissals, but the message was unmistakable: the administration intends to reshape the immigration court system.
President Donald Trump has long criticized what he calls “activist judges” for blocking immigration enforcement. Several of the dismissed judges say they were targeted for their rulings. Among them is Jennifer Peyton, appointed in 2016, who said she received her notice while on vacation. “I was shocked,” she said, suggesting political motives behind her removal. Sen. Dick Durbin, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, called the decision an “abuse of power.”
The National Association of Immigration Judges confirmed the dismissals, warning that “morale is low, and there’s a sense of fear.” Some judges also allege discrimination. Carla Espinoza, a former Chicago judge, claimed her contract was not renewed because of her gender and Hispanic background. Her case has been debated after she defended a controversial ruling as “fair and justified.”
Administration officials deny political motives, describing the move as a system overhaul aimed at improving consistency and clearing bottlenecks. A senior DHS official said the changes focus on “performance, efficiency, and restoring faith in the system.” The White House has already begun recruiting judges with backgrounds in law enforcement, national security, and immigration prosecution.
Critics argue the removals threaten judicial independence. Julia Hernandez of the American Immigration Council called the move “a dangerous precedent.” But administration allies insist reform is overdue. As one White House official put it, “The days of activist judges standing in the way of border enforcement are over.”
