"I think there's a broader agenda of trying to reshape the immigration bench to be more reflective of the political agenda of the administration, Patel said."
"Earlier this year Patel rejected the administration's efforts to deport Ozturk, then a Tufts University PhD student who had co-written an op-ed for the student newspaper critical of the university's response to Israel's attacks on Palestinians."
"In February, Froes blocked the Trump administration from removing Mahdawi, a Columbia student and pro-Palestinian activist who was arrested during a US citizenship interview last year."
"Patel said she had enjoyed serving as an immigration judge, although it was difficult given the extraordinary consequences her decisions had on people's lives, and that pressures had increased."
The Department of Justice terminated six immigration judges, including Roopal Patel and Nina Froes, who ruled against deportation efforts targeting pro-Palestinian students. Patel noted that her dismissal aligns with a pattern of removing judges near the end of their probation, particularly those with immigrant defense experience. Both judges were appointed by the Biden administration in May 2024. Patel previously rejected deportation efforts against a Tufts student, while Froes blocked the removal of a Columbia student. Patel expressed concern over the political reshaping of the immigration bench.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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