Friday night massacre 5 judges fired from S.F. immigration court today
The Department of Justice fired five immigration judges from San Francisco's immigration court on Friday, marking the largest reduction of judges this year. This latest action raises the total number of judges dismissed in the city to 12 under the Trump administration's policies. Among those dismissed were judges known for their high asylum grant rates, including Louis A. Gordon, who accepted 96% of asylum claims. The firings leave only nine immigration judges in San Francisco, which raises alarms about the already overwhelmed asylum system with a backlog of 3.
4 million cases. Legal professionals fear that these dismissals will create further delays and uncertainty for their clients awaiting hearings. Diana Mariscal, a staff attorney, noted that clients may need to relive traumatic experiences with new judges. The administration's move aligns with efforts to reshape the asylum system, as evidenced by a recent advertisement seeking “deportation judges” with a significant salary. These developments highlight the ongoing struggle within the immigration court system and the potential impacts on vulnerable asylum seekers.