Trump admin. fires S.F. immigration judge with high asylum rate

The Department of Justice dismissed Judge Chloe S. Dillon from the San Francisco immigration court, where she achieved a 96. 5% asylum approval rate. This firing follows a pattern under the Trump administration, which has dismissed over 50 immigration judges this year, many of whom also had high asylum approval rates. Dillon, appointed in 2022, is the second immigration judge known to be fired outside the two-year probation period.

Reports indicate that immigration judges often deny federal motions to dismiss cases, which should prevent the arrest of asylum-seekers, yet many still face immediate arrests by ICE agents. Dillon's courtroom witnessed such an incident recently, highlighting the tense atmosphere surrounding immigration hearings. The Justice Department did not respond to inquiries regarding her termination. Immigration judges have raised concerns about the political motivations behind these firings, which coincide with a backlog of approximately 3. 5 million immigration cases.

The situation raises significant questions about judicial independence within the immigration court system.