Kerry Doyle, a former immigration judge appointed under the Biden administration, is speaking out after being abruptly fired alongside more than 20 of her colleagues.
The Massachusetts-based judge, who previously served as a top legal advisor for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), described the unexpected termination as politically motivated.
Doyle revealed that she received an email from the Executive Office of Immigration Review stating that her retention was “not in the best interest of the agency.”
With no further explanation given, she turned to LinkedIn to share her frustration, stating, “I had not publicly posted that I had started working as an [immigration judge] in the hope of keeping my head down and just getting to work and avoiding having a bullseye on me.
Unfortunately, I was unable to avoid the political pink slip.”
Political Motivations or Standard Procedure?
Doyle, along with other dismissed judges, was appointed during Biden’s presidency, leading her to believe the firings were politically driven.
She noted that her name had appeared on a Department of Homeland Security “watchlist” website last year, which labeled her a “target” due to her stance on immigration policies.
Critics of Doyle’s appointment argue that she has a history of advocating for open borders and lenient immigration policies.
As ICE’s principal legal advisor, she issued a controversial memo instructing officials to dismiss older cases involving immigrants who did not pose a public safety threat.
Supporters of the policy argued that it allowed ICE to focus resources on higher-priority cases, while opponents saw it as a dangerous precedent.
The Impact of Mass Firings on Immigration Courts
The termination of Doyle and her colleagues could further strain the already overwhelmed immigration court system.
The Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, which represents nearly 700 immigration judges, raised concerns about the potential delays in processing cases.
A single immigration judge typically handles 500 to 700 cases per year, meaning the sudden loss of multiple judges could significantly slow the system.
Matthew Biggs, president of the union, called the firings hypocritical, pointing out that the U.S. needs more immigration judges, not fewer.
“Look up the definition of ‘hypocrisy,'” he remarked.
“The firing of immigration judges when we need more judges to enforce our immigration laws by this administration is a perfect example.”
Trump’s Effort to “Clean House”
Although the Biden administration had also dismissed judges appointed under Trump, the scale and timing of these recent firings have drawn more scrutiny.
Former President Donald Trump had already announced a sweeping dismissal of all “Biden-era” U.S. attorneys just days before these terminations.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared, “We must ‘clean house’ IMMEDIATELY and restore confidence.
America’s Golden Age must have a fair justice system—that begins today!”
It remains unclear whether the firing of these immigration judges was directly tied to Trump’s broader effort to reshape the Department of Justice and the judiciary.
However, Doyle believes these actions will ultimately erode public trust in the immigration system.
“If you start making it political, it really does blow up the system and blow up people’s faith in the system,” she said.
What Comes Next for the Immigration Courts?
With immigration cases already backlogged for years, the loss of experienced judges could further slow the legal process.
Doyle, who was preparing to take over a colleague’s caseload before her termination, noted that her cases will now have to be redistributed among the remaining judges, adding to their already heavy workload.
While political turnover in judicial appointments isn’t new—Trump-appointed Judge Marna Rusher was similarly dismissed when Biden took office—Doyle sees a stark difference in the reasoning behind these firings.
“Maybe it’s just that each president wants to have his imprint and people who will follow his agenda,” she speculated.
“I don’t think I would call that politically motivated as much as them thinking they have a better idea for America and fairly treating people that come across the border.”
As the debate over immigration policies continues to heat up, the impact of these firings on the broader legal system remains to be seen.
What’s clear, however, is that the immigration courts face mounting challenges, and these dismissals have only added another layer of complexity to an already strained system.
This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!
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