Trump admin. has fired four S.F. immigration judges since April

The Trump administration dismissed four immigration judges from San Francisco’s immigration court, including Ila Deiss, known for her high asylum approval rate of 93. 7 percent. Judges Roger Dinh, Elisa Brasil, and Jami Vigil were also terminated in April, just shy of completing their two-year probationary period. This brings the total number of vacancies to nine across 26 courtrooms, raising concerns about the court's capacity to handle asylum cases effectively. Nationwide, at least 17 immigration judges have been fired across 10 states since Monday, according to the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers.

The firings have occurred amid reports of ICE routinely arresting asylum-seekers during court hearings, including three arrests on Friday. Milli Atkinson, an immigration specialist, confirmed that another judge, Kyra Lilien, was also fired recently in the Concord Immigration Court. The Executive Office for Immigration Review declined to comment on the firings, which have sparked concerns about the judicial independence and fairness of the immigration system. Asylum-seekers may face increased challenges in obtaining relief as the number of judges continues to dwindle.