UN experts criticise US immigration judge dismissals

Two United Nations special rapporteurs condemned what they called the mass arbitrary removal of immigration judges in the United States and said the politicisation of immigration courts must stop.

Margaret Satterthwaite, the special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, and Gehad Madi, the special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, raised the alarm in a statement. UN special rapporteurs are independent experts mandated by the Human Rights Council to report their findings and do not speak for the United Nations itself.

The experts said their information indicates that at least 135 judges have been removed since January 2025, when President Donald Trump returned to office, including at least 113 immigration judges. They said the removals reportedly happened without cause or individual explanation.

They said the pattern raised serious concerns that immigration judges were being targeted because of perceived political affiliation, professional background or adjudicative record. They said the removals undermined the independence of immigration courts and the wider justice system, with immediate and severe consequences.

US immigration judges are appointed by the Attorney General and preside over immigration hearings, deciding whether a person may remain in the country or must leave. The experts said those cases can involve questions of persecution, torture or other irreparable harm if a person is removed.

Satterthwaite and Madi said that, among 78 removed immigration judges for whom public data was available, 65 had a higher asylum grant rate than the national average or than the average of their specific court. They also said judges with professional experience in immigrant defence or humanitarian advocacy were disproportionately removed, as were judges appointed during the previous presidential administration.

Migrant advocacy groups say the dismissals are intended to fill positions with judges more aligned with Trump's anti-immigration policies.