Trump Administration Fires Immigration Judges Who Blocked Pro-Palestinian Student Deportations

The Trump administration has dismissed several immigration judges, including two who ruled against the government's efforts to deport pro-Palestinian students, according to the National Association of Immigration Judges. The union confirmed that six judges were terminated last weekend and three more on Good Friday, bringing the total to 113 immigration judges fired since January of last year.

The union condemned the dismissals as occurring "without due process, cause or explanation," noting that such firings were virtually unheard of before Trump's return to office.

Among those let go were Massachusetts-based judges Roopal Patel and Nina Froes, both Biden-era appointees who were notified of their termination near the end of their two-year probationary periods. Patel, stationed at a Boston immigration court, had previously blocked the deportation of Tufts University PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk, while Froes, based in Chelmsford, had done the same for Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi.

In response to questions about the firings, a Justice Department spokesperson stated that all judges carry an obligation to remain impartial, and that the Executive Office for Immigration Review is required to act when systematic bias is detected — though no supporting evidence was provided.

The dismissals are part of a broader immigration enforcement campaign that civil rights organizations argue violates due process and free speech protections. Advocacy groups have also raised concerns about the chilling effect on minority communities and international students. Beyond deportation efforts, the administration has moved to freeze university funding tied to campus protests and screen immigrants' social media activity.

Trump has labeled pro-Palestinian student demonstrators as antisemitic supporters of extremism — a characterization that many protesters, including several Jewish advocacy groups, strongly dispute, arguing it conflates legitimate criticism of Israeli policy with hatred.