Staff Reports
The Trump administration has just delivered a delightful smackdown to 20 “midnight” immigration judges that the Biden administration tried to sneak through the back door in the waning hours of their reign. Reports indicate that this latest action involved the ousting of 13 judges recruited during late December and early January. In addition, seven assistant chief immigration judges felt the wrath of the Trump team’s sweeping policy change. Apparently, the Biden administration thought they could load the courts with their picks and keep them around for good. Surprise!
This move is reminiscent of the housecleaning that the Biden administration orchestrated back in 2021 when they whisked away many Trump appointees to re-establish their own agenda. One notable casualty of this purging spree was Kerry Doyle, a one-time critic of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement who managed to weasel her way into a position as ICE’s principal legal adviser. Doyle had a penchant for leniency towards illegal immigrants, a hallmark of the previous administration, and the Biden camp had hopes of cementing her position in the bureaucracy as a permanent fixture. So much for that plan; as of Friday night, she was still clinging to her title on EOIR’s court list, and not for long.
Trump DOJ fires 20 Biden immigration judgeshttps://t.co/U2RIDxmSqb pic.twitter.com/U3ks7sriIa
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) February 17, 2025
Historically, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) was supposed to float above the fray of political squabbles like some high-minded cloud of impartiality. But since Biden’s takeover, the EOIR has transformed into a political playground, systematically purging anyone remotely associated with Trump. In just a couple of years, six of the ten senior executive positions at EOIR vanished as a direct consequence of Biden’s meticulous weeding process. His administration dreams of creating a safe space for their chosen few, apparently at the expense of justice and due process along the way.
More than ten immigration judges brought on board during the Trump era were shown the door right at the end of their probation period—or simply resigned rather than face the music. It seems the Biden squad made some dubious historical advances in the realm of immigration judges, setting a precedent for dismissals that was previously almost unheard of. A senior Justice Department official claims that the current moves are a simple response to the liberal precedent set in the past—spitting out those they view as unsatisfactory like a bad meal. Clearly, the Biden administration opened the Pandora’s box, and now, the Trump team is ready to do the cleanup.
All of this takes place in the backdrop of significant leadership changes at EOIR. Earlier this January, Trump’s administration dismantled much of Biden’s appointed leadership there, effectively taking the reins. This included the dismissal of the acting director, chief immigration judge, general counsel, and head of policy—quite the game of musical chairs, wouldn’t you say? While the Biden camp may have thought they had the upper hand with their midnight appointments, the Trump administration has just proven that in politics, as in life, nothing is set in stone.
