The administration of President Donald Trump has dismissed eight immigration judges in New York City, according to a report by The New York Times. This move is part of a broader nationwide effort to accelerate deportations, which has now seen nearly 100 immigration judges lose their jobs this year.
New York Court "Eviscerated" in Latest Firings
The latest job cuts were executed on Monday, with all eight judges being dismissed from the immigration court offices located at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan. This building is significant as it houses the New York City headquarters of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency and has become a central hub for migrant-related arrests in the city.
Among those fired was Amiena A Khan, who served as the assistant chief immigration judge at the location and supervised other judges. The firings followed an earlier round of dismissals in New York immigration courts. The development was confirmed to The New York Times by officials from both the National Association of Immigration Judges union and the Justice Department.
Olivia Cassin, a judge who lost her job at another New York court in November, described the impact starkly. "The court has been basically eviscerated… It feels like a Monday afternoon massacre," she told the newspaper, noting she had held her position for over a decade.
Nearly 100 Judges Dismissed Nationwide in 2024
Monday's actions bring the total number of immigration judges fired this year to nearly 100. Prior to this, about 90 judges across the United States had already lost their positions, including six in New York. Federal officials state that the US has approximately 600 immigration judges in total.
According to union officials, as many as 36 of the fired immigration judges have already been replaced nationwide, with two of those replacements being in New York. The 26 Federal Plaza court, which originally had 34 judges, suffered a significant blow with the latest dismissals.
Part of a Broader Push to Tighten Immigration
These dismissals are not occurring in isolation. They align with a series of aggressive policy moves by the Trump administration aimed at tightening immigration controls and speeding up deportations. The push intensified after two National Guard members were shot near the White House by an individual authorities identified as an Afghan national.
In response, the administration announced a flurry of restrictive measures last week, including:
- Pausing decisions on asylum applications.
- Re-examining green card applications from individuals from countries "of concern."
- Halting visas for Afghans who assisted the US war effort.
The firing of immigration judges is seen as a direct component of this strategy, potentially reducing oversight and streamlining the process for removal orders. However, it has raised significant alarms among legal experts and advocates about the capacity of the system to handle asylum cases fairly and the growing tension between enforcement priorities and judicial independence.
