The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has fired 20 immigration judges without providing any explanation, according to a union official reported this past Saturday. This action is part of the measures taken by the government to reduce the size of the federal workforce, which has raised concerns among workers and unions.
The dismissals affected 13 judges who had not yet been sworn in and five immigration judges, adding to two other dismissals that occurred the previous week under similar circumstances. The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers denounced that these decisions seem to be part of a broader campaign affecting the entire federal labor structure.
In response to these events, the Mexican government announced the 'Mexico Embraces You' program, aimed at providing support to nationals deported from the United States. Among the proposed measures are benefits such as the Pension for Well-Being for older adults and the Rita Cetina Scholarship, among others.
Meanwhile, leader and former immigration appeals judge, Sirce Owen, has issued a series of new instructions that reverse policies established during the administration of former President Joe Biden. This occurs in a context where the Biden administration had suspended financial support to non-governmental organizations that advise individuals in the deportation process, a decision that was later revoked.
Trump's dismissal of immigration judges is framed within his priorities of mass deportations and reducing the size of the federal government. So far, it is unclear whether the dismissed judges will be replaced. U.S. immigration courts are facing a significant backlog of more than 3.7 million cases and take years to resolve asylum requests, exacerbating the situation.
In the past, the Trump administration had already replaced senior judicial officials and pressured judges to expedite the resolution of immigration cases. These actions have raised concerns in various sectors, advocating for greater hiring of judges and support staff in immigration courts.
