Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are joining their Senate colleagues in introducing legislation that would prevent Donald Trump from abusing loopholes to appoint inexperienced attorneys as temporary immigration judges.
The Temporary Immigration Judge Integrity Act aims to close loopholes the Trump administration has been using to short-circuit due process and accelerate its mass deportation agenda. This bill follows Trump weaponizing U.S. immigration courts and torching due process rights by replacing more than 100 immigration judges with up to 600 military lawyers.
“Trump is weaponizing our immigration courts and torching due process rights by replacing experienced judges with unqualified lawyers who will rubberstamp his mass deportation agenda,” Wyden said. “Congress needs to ensure that judges hearing these critical and complex cases have the knowledge to give immigrants the fair hearings that they deserve.”
“We can’t stand idly by as an authoritarian strongman tramples on due process,” Merkley said. “Trump is replacing qualified judges with inexperienced lackeys who will carry out his cruel immigration agenda without question. Congress needs to act swiftly to defend the rule of law and make sure that the judges serving on our immigration courts are experienced, qualified, and fair.”
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 from being appointed as temporary immigration judges.
- Authorize appointments of attorneys at the Department of Justice who meet the eligibility requirements.
- Establish basic training requirements.
The bill is endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union, American Immigration Council, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Brennan Center for Justice, and the National Association of Immigration Judges.
The bill was led by U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, D-Calif. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the bill was co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Peter Welch, D-Vt.
Full text of the legislation is here.
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