Jennifer Peyton, a former assistant chief immigration judge in Chicago, has expressed deep concerns about the recent wave of judicial terminations within the immigration court system under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Peyton revealed that she has witnessed over 100 fellow judges facing abrupt terminations, transfers, or resignations this year alone.
Both Peyton and Carla Espinoza joined forces to highlight a troubling trend: a lack of transparency and due process surrounding these dismissals, particularly as the immigration court backlog surges to an alarming 3.5 million cases.
“Since January 2025, immigration courts have not honored or offered due process like they did when I was appointed in September 2016,” Peyton remarked at a press conference in Chicago alongside Senator Dick Durbin.
She conveyed a sense of dread about the systematic destruction, defunding, and politicization of the court system under this administration.
Peyton was terminated via email on July 3, shortly after a meeting with Senator Durbin at a local immigration court.
That meeting triggered a communication from the Justice Department instructing judges not to engage directly with members of Congress or their staff, which Durbin denounced as an abuse of power.
He criticized the timing of these judge terminations while millions of immigration cases remain undecided, questioning the guiding principles behind such drastic actions in a busy court system.
“What is going on in one of the busiest courts in the nation? They’re terminating career immigration judges, not political appointments,” Senator Durbin stated.
He raised serious concerns about whether the current administration’s actions align with the values of due process or are influenced by political motives.
Peyton had been actively involved in pro bono initiatives, helping to promote legal assistance within immigration courts.
She noted a disturbing trend among judges who provided pro bono services for nonprofits, many of whom have been dismissed.
Peyton has since filed an appeal regarding her termination, seeking clarity and justice.
Espinoza, who became a judge in 2023, echoed similar sentiments and disclosed that at least 20 judges who had sworn in alongside her faced termination as well.
She experienced her own dismissal on July 11 through an email while she was on the bench, receiving no explanation for her firing.
Her termination notice cited the end of a two-year probationary period without any further details.
Espinoza expressed concerns over the apparent patterns of discrimination among those terminated, particularly affecting women and minorities.
“Judges with Hispanic last names, like myself, and those with Middle Eastern last names have faced termination, along with those in the LGBT community,” she stated.
She also pointed to a notable implication that judges involved in high-profile cases were disproportionately impacted by firings.
Espinoza recounted a previous ruling where she had released a Mexican immigrant falsely accused of threatening President Trump, illustrating the complexities involved in certain cases.
She has requested a justification for her own termination and specifically inquired whether her gender, sex, or heritage had any influence on the decision.
Both judges’ experiences highlight the urgent concern surrounding due process within the immigration court system as judges call attention to their abrupt and unexplained dismissals.
image source from：chicago
