Trump Administration Removes Eight New York Immigration Judges Amid Ongoing Crackdown

The US Department of Justice has removed eight immigration judges serving in New York City, the National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ) confirmed on Tuesday, highlighting escalating tensions between the Trump administration and the immigration court system during its intensified crackdown on undocumented migrants.

According to the NAIJ, the dismissed judges were assigned to the immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, a key venue for hearings involving migrants seeking to regularize their legal status in the United States.

For months, masked federal officers have patrolled the corridors of the nearby Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building, making arrests as migrants exit their hearings — all under the regular scrutiny of the press.
Images capturing confrontations with law enforcement and families being separated have circulated widely online, turning 26 Federal Plaza into a powerful symbol of the administration’s nationwide immigration enforcement push.

The specific reasons behind the dismissal of the eight New York judges remain unclear. However, according to The New York Times, they are among roughly 90 immigration judges removed nationwide within the past year, out of a total of about 600.

Migrant advocacy groups argue the dismissals are part of a broader effort to replace existing judges with others more closely aligned with the administration’s immigration agenda.

The removals occurred shortly after several dozen people gathered in Manhattan over the weekend to resist a possible ICE raid targeting street vendors, an event that ended with multiple arrests by the NYPD.

Although New York City is designated a sanctuary city — limiting cooperation between local agencies and federal immigration authorities — this status does not prohibit federal officers from conducting operations within the city.

Opinion Nigeria News