US Immigration Courts Face Chaos After Judge Terminations and Policy Shifts
Major changes have shaken the US immigration court system over the past two years. Judges have faced sudden terminations, legal challenges, and shifting policies under political pressure. These developments come as the system struggles with a backlog of millions of cases. The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) opened a new court in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, on 8 April 2024. This move aimed to address a backlog of nearly 4 million pending immigration cases. By 2026, the total backlog dropped to 3.34 million, though individual judges reported heavier workloads.
In February 2025, the EOIR terminated 178 immigration judges, including Nina Fróes. Records show Fróes had denied nearly 51% of asylum cases before her by September 2025. On 10 April 2025, she received an email titled NOTICE OF NON-CONVERSION, prompting her to halt a hearing mid-session.
George Pappas, a judge at the Chelmsford court, filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department in May 2025. He claimed his dismissal was unjustified. Around the same time, Sarah Cade resigned, citing dissatisfaction with new immigration laws and the agency’s direction.
Policy shifts also played a role in the turmoil. Under the Trump administration, the Board of Immigration Appeals issued 118 precedent-setting decisions in just 15 months. By contrast, the Biden administration produced 91 such rulings over four years. Then, on 27 January 2025, Acting EOIR Director Sirce Owen released a memo that challenged the agency’s long-standing tradition of judicial independence. The terminations, lawsuits, and policy changes have left the immigration court system in flux. While the overall case backlog has shrunk, the remaining judges now handle larger caseloads. The impact of these shifts on asylum seekers and court operations remains to be seen.
