The Trump administration dismissed two immigration judges, Roopal Patel and Nina Froes, following their decisions to block deportations for international students involved in pro-Palestinian advocacy. These firings are part of a wider executive effort to retool the federal immigration courts, which operate under the Justice Department rather than gaining independence like other federal judicial bodies.

Judges Patel and Froes, both appointed during the preceding administration, had ruled against the government in high-profile cases involving Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk and Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi. Both students faced deportation proceedings after their campus activism led to visa revocations under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who cited potential damage to U.S. foreign policy.

Immigration judges serve at the pleasure of the Attorney General, making them susceptible to personnel changes aimed at enforcement goals. Data shows judges appointed under Trump are granting asylum at the lowest rate since 2009, while deportations increase. This action suggests a clear directive against judges whose rulings deviate from the administration’s hardline enforcement posture.

Patel and Froes had granted asylum at rates far exceeding the bench average—41.5% and 33% respectively—compared to the general rate of 18%. Their removal, alongside four other judges, solidifies the executive branch's influence over final removal decisions within the U.S. immigration system.