Rep. Juan Vargas, Sen. Adam Schiff Introduce Bill to Prevent Inexperienced Temporary Immigration Judge Appointments, Close Loopholes Exploited by Trump Administration
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (D-CA-52) introduced the Temporary Immigration Judge Integrity Act, legislation to prevent inexperienced temporary immigration judge appointments in light of the Trump Administration’s abuse of loopholes in current regulations. U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.
Following the Trump Administration’s mass firing of immigration judges and authorizing of up to 600 military lawyers to serve as temporary immigration judges, the bill aims to close the loopholes the administration has been utilizing to speed up their mass deportation agenda – such as the lack of due process protections for individuals in immigration court proceedings.
“After purging over 100 permanent immigration judges from the DOJ, the Trump Administration is now looking to push attorneys with limited to no prior immigration law experience into these roles,” said Rep. Juan Vargas. “Anyone facing the life-altering consequences of deportation deserves to have their case heard in front of a judge who is trained and experienced in immigration law. We need guardrails now as the Trump Administration continues to attack our immigrant communities and due process rights.”
“The Trump administration’s willingness to fire experienced immigration judges and hire inexperienced or temporary “deportation judges,” especially in places like California, has fundamentally impacted the landscape of our justice system. Given the administration’s unlawful terminations of qualified judges, and their plan to leverage the power of temporary positions to speed up their mass deportation agenda, the risks of grave injury to families, fairness, and due process have expanded. The administration’s unlawful mass firing of immigration judges at an alarming rate is their latest aggressive enforcement tactic that jeopardizes our judicial workforce. Amidst the growing number of pending cases in immigration courts, this legislation will ensure that only experienced and trained temporary immigration judges will have the privilege of adjudicating cases that have permanent consequences for millions of people,” said Sen. Adam Schiff.
The bill would:
- Cap temporary immigration judge appointments at four consecutive six-month terms: 2-year maximum service limit with at least a 3-year break in between services;
- Prevent military attorneys and Judge Advocate Generals (JAGs) from being appointed as temporary immigration judges;
- Authorize appointments of attorneys at the Department of Justice (DOJ) who meet the eligibility requirements;
- Establish basic training requirements.
The bill is cosponsored by Reps. Nydia M. Velázquez, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Darren Soto, Yvette D. Clarke, Grace Meng, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Scott Peters, Judy Chu, Ted Lieu, Daniel Goldman, Sylvia Garcia, André Carson, Nanette Barragán, and Hank Johnson.
The bill is endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), American Immigration Council (AIC), American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Brennan Center for Justice, and the National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ).
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