The Trump administration is working to reshape immigration courts

This episode of USA Today's The Excerpt examines the Trump administration's sweeping efforts to reshape the U.S. immigration court system as part of its broader mass deportation agenda. Since taking office in 2024, the administration has fired over 100 immigration judges and replaced them with temporary, executive-loyal judges serving six-month terms. The move targets courts perceived as liberal, particularly the San Francisco Immigration Court, which is set to close and relocate judges to a suburban location, disrupting access to legal proceedings for immigrants. Former judge Jeremiah Johnson, known for his high asylum grant rate, now lives in Guatemala, retracing the migrant trail he once adjudicated. Critics argue the immigration court system lacks true independence, with no right to public counsel and prosecutors working for ICE, undermining due process. The administration frames the asylum system as a loophole, pushing policies like metering and blanket bans, while the Supreme Court is currently reviewing these measures. Despite bipartisan acknowledgment of systemic flaws, Congress has failed to act, leaving the courts in disarray amid a backlog of over two million cases. The episode underscores how political control of immigration judges is being weaponized to limit asylum access, especially in liberal jurisdictions. It highlights the human cost—immigrants deported in absentia due to scheduling chaos—and questions the legitimacy of a system where judicial independence is compromised by executive power. While the administration claims to restore order, critics warn it’s creating systemic chaos and eroding fundamental rights. The story also notes that both Biden and Trump have restricted asylum access, revealing a bipartisan trend toward tightening border policies. The episode concludes with a brief plug for USA Today’s Top Workplaces 2026 list, emphasizing organizational culture and employee trust.