Eight immigration judges based in New York were removed from their posts on Monday by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), according to the National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ), as tensions between the judiciary and the Trump administration continue to escalate.
The judges, all stationed at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan—a major immigration court handling residency and asylum cases—were dismissed without an official explanation. Their removal adds to a growing list of judicial departures: the New York Times estimates that nearly 90 immigration judges have been relieved of their duties since the start of the year, out of a nationwide total of approximately 600.
For months, the building at 26 Federal Plaza has been at the centre of controversy, with federal officers in masks conducting high-profile arrests of migrants exiting hearings. These scenes, often captured by news cameras, have included scuffles, family separations, and distressing confrontations that have circulated widely around the world. The location has become symbolic of the Trump administration’s hardline stance on undocumented immigrants.
Immigrant rights groups argue that the administration is seeking to replace experienced immigration judges with officials who are ideologically aligned with its restrictive policies. “This pattern of removals is deeply alarming,” a spokesperson for one advocacy organisation said. “It appears designed to reshape the immigration bench in the administration’s image.”
The dismissals follow a weekend mobilisation in Manhattan, where dozens of residents gathered to deter possible Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations targeting street vendors. The New York Police Department confirmed several detentions. Similar protests erupted in late October after another federal operation on busy Canal Street.
New York City, a self-declared “sanctuary city,” limits cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration enforcement, although it does not prohibit federal actions outright.
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