Trump administration dismisses 8 immigration judges in New York City, official reports

The Trump administration terminated the positions of eight immigration judges in New York City on Monday, according to a representative from the National Association of Immigration Judges. All of the dismissed judges were stationed at the 26 Federal Plaza immigration court offices, which also serve as the headquarters for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New York.

Among those removed was Amiena Khan, who held the role of assistant chief immigration judge at the 26 Federal Plaza office and supervised other judges there.

Since January, a total of 98 immigration judges have been dismissed nationwide, including 12 assistant chief judges, the official said. A similar number of judges have opted for early retirement, resignation, or other exit programs during the same period.

The Executive Office for Immigration Review at the Justice Department, which manages immigration courts and judges, declined to comment on personnel matters on Tuesday. The New York Times initially reported the dismissals on Monday.

At the start of the year, there were approximately 700 immigration judges across the country; this number has now fallen below 600, according to the association's spokesperson. A tax legislation passed in July under President Trump called for 800 permanent immigration judges along with support teams.

Since January, the Justice Department has appointed 11 new permanent judges and 25 temporary judges with military backgrounds on six-month assignments.

In a statement sent to CBS News, a Justice Department spokesperson said, "After four years of the Biden Administration enforcing de facto amnesty for hundreds of thousands of individuals, the Department of Justice is restoring integrity to our immigration system and encourages qualified legal professionals to join our mission to protect national security and public safety."

In July, three immigration judges criticized their dismissals as "arbitrary" and "unjust," describing the actions as an attack on the rule of law. At that time, the Justice Department did not comment on allegations from the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers union that several judges had been removed without cause.

Immigration courts continue to face a backlog exceeding 3.4 million cases. In September, a defense official confirmed that the Pentagon is considering authorizing up to 600 military attorneys to serve temporarily as immigration judges.

Last month, the Trump administration eased qualifications for temporary immigration judges, allowing a broader range of government attorneys to preside over cases. The new rule, published in the Federal Register in late August, stated that restricting temporary judges to Justice Department employees with extensive immigration law experience no longer aligns with the interests of the Executive Office for Immigration Review.

Previously, only Justice Department lawyers with at least ten years of immigration law experience or former immigration judges were eligible for temporary assignments.

Author: Sophia Brooks