UN Experts Condemn Mass Dismissal of US Immigration Judges Under Trump

Two United Nations special rapporteurs on Thursday condemned what they described as the arbitrary mass dismissal of immigration judges in the United States. They stressed that the ongoing politicisation of immigration courts must be halted. Since January 2025, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s return to power, information received by the experts indicates that at least 135 judges have been dismissed, including 113 immigration judges. The dismissals reportedly occurred without clear reasons or individual explanations. “These patterns raise serious concerns that immigration judges are being targeted based on perceived political affiliation, professional background, or their adjudication records,” the experts stated in an official statement. The warning was issued by Margaret Satterthwaite, special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, and Gehad Madi, special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants. It should be noted that UN special rapporteurs are independent experts mandated by the Human Rights Council to report their findings, and they do not speak on behalf of the UN organisation as a whole. In the United States, immigration judges are appointed by the Attorney General to preside over immigration proceedings. They hold the crucial authority to decide whether a foreign national is permitted to remain in the country or must be deported. Satterthwaite and Madi noted that publicly available data from 78 dismissed immigration judges showed a specific pattern. “These dismissals undermine the independence of immigration courts and the broader judicial system, with immediate and severe consequences,” the experts stressed. They added that immigration judges decide cases that are profoundly life-determining, including whether an individual will face persecution, torture, or irreparable harm if returned. In line with these concerns, migrant advocacy groups assess that this mass purge aims to fill strategic positions with judges more aligned with the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies.