Justice Department fires immigration judges who dismissed deportation cases against two student activists
The Facts
- The Justice Department fired six immigration judges in the latest round of dismissals.
- Among the judges fired were Roopal Patel and Nina Froes of Massachusetts.
- Patel had dismissed the deportation case against Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk.
- Froes had dismissed deportation proceedings against Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi.
- The National Association of Immigration Judges said six judges were fired last weekend and three more were fired on April 3 or Good Friday.
- The National Association of Immigration Judges said 113 immigration judges have been fired since January of last year.
- Patel and Froes were appointed as immigration judges in 2024 during the Biden administration.
Context
Who are the two judges at the center of this story?
They are Roopal Patel, a Boston-based immigration judge, and Nina Froes, an immigration judge in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, both of whom were among the latest judges dismissed by the Justice Department USA Today,Times of Israel,ABC News.
Which student cases had these judges handled?
Patel dismissed the deportation case against Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University doctoral student, while Froes dismissed proceedings against Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student and activist USA Today,Times of Israel,ABC News.
What broader pattern do the latest firings fit into?
According to the National Association of Immigration Judges, the latest dismissals bring the number of immigration judges fired since January of last year to 113; the union said the judges were removed without due process, cause, or explanation Reuters,EconoTimes,ABC News.
The receipts — 23 sources
Wire services (3)
Independent coverage (20)
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