Immigration Courts

A fired immigration judge has sued the government alleging discrimination in a case that could have broad implications for civil‑rights law; Attorney General Pam Bondi publicly dismissed the allegations at a White House Cabinet meeting, saying “Last I checked, I was a woman as well,” while DOJ pointed to its litigation record. Advocacy groups say roughly 100 immigration judges have been fired or pushed out — including eight recently in New York City — and experts warn the removals risk eroding trust in the immigration court system; DOJ did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the suit.

Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Juan Vargas introduced legislation on Dec. 3, 2025 to restrict who the attorney general can appoint as temporary immigration judges, requiring prior appellate service, administrative judge experience, or 10 years in immigration law. The bill follows mass firings of immigration judges—at least 14 in the past two weeks and 90+ this year—and aims to block the administration’s plan to deploy up to 600 military lawyers without immigration-law experience; it currently has no GOP co-sponsors in a Republican-led Congress.