Trump Admin Dismisses Another Immigration
Wave of Firings
The Justice Department has dismissed six San Francisco immigration judges since Donald Trump returned to office,
raising concerns about political targeting. Judge Shira Levine, appointed in 2021,
was the latest to be terminated “without explanation,” NBC Bay Area reported.
Judges with High Asylum Approval Rates
Several of the fired judges, including Chloe Dillon and Elisa Brasil,
had some of the highest asylum approval rates in the nation—over 96%, compared with a national average below 36%.
Dillon said she learned of her dismissal through a brief email after a years-long asylum hearing.
Concerns of Bias
“It appears to be completely ideologically based,” former judge Dana Leigh Marks told KQED.
Dillon added: “They are specifically targeting one end of the spectrum because they don’t like those results.”
Shifting Standards
Many dismissed judges had backgrounds in immigrant defense, while those from government prosecution roles have largely remained.
