Trump administration fires 17 immigration court judges across ten states, union says

WASHINGTON AP Seventeen immigration court judges have been fired in latest days according to the union that represents them as the Trump administration pushes forward with its mass deportations of immigrants in the country The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers which represents immigration court judges as well as other professionals explained in a news release that judges were fired without cause on Friday and another two on Monday The union revealed they were working in courts in different states across the country California Illinois Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts New York Ohio Texas Utah and Virginia It s outrageous and against the general interest that at the same time Congress has authorized immigration judges we are firing large numbers of immigration judges without cause declared the union s President Matt Biggs This is nonsensical The answer is to stop firing and start hiring Firings come with courts at the center of administration efforts The firings come as the courts have been increasingly at the center of the Trump administration s hardline immigration enforcement efforts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arresting immigrants as they appear at court for proceedings A spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Immigration Review which is the part of the Justice Department that oversees the courts explained in an email that the office would not comment on the firings The large-scale arrests began in May and have unleashed fear among asylum-seekers and immigrants appearing in court In what has become a familiar scene a judge will grant a establishment lawyer s request to dismiss deportation proceedings against an immigrant Meanwhile U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are waiting in the hallway to arrest the person and put them on a fast track to deportation as soon as he or she leaves the courtroom Immigration court judges are also dealing with a massive backlog of roughly million cases that ballooned in newest years Cases can take years to weave their way to a final determination with judges and lawyers frequently scheduling final hearings on the merits of a situation over a year out Unlike criminal courts immigrants don t have the right to a lawyer and if they can t afford one they represent themselves often using an interpreter to make their situation Courts are getting a cash infusion Under in the last few days passed measure that will use billion to supercharge immigration enforcement the courts are set to get an infusion of billion That will go toward raising the number of judges to and hiring more staff to advocacy them But the union disclosed that since the Trump administration took office over judges have either been fired or voluntarily left after taking what was dubbed the Fork in the Road offers at the beginning of the administration The union revealed that rather than speeding up the immigration court process the Justice Department s firings would certainly make the backlogs worse The union revealed that it can take as long as a year to recruit hire and train new immigration court judges There are now about judges according to the union figures Immigration courts fall under the Justice Department Source