World Immigration News

Retired US immigration judge sounds a warning

Release Date: 2025-04-08
Media: NHK
Summary: U.S. immigration judges play a critical role in determining the future of non-citizens, but under the Trump administration, many judges were fired, raising concerns about the protection of individuals' rights. James Fujimoto, a retired immigration judge with 29 years of experience, warns that the due process is being undermined. He highlights the growing backlog of immigration cases, which has ballooned from 1.2 million in 2020 to 3.7 million under the Biden administration.

Fujimoto and other fired judges, like Kerry Doyle, argue that this undermines faith in the system and puts immigrants’ rights at risk. Doyle, who was about to be sworn in, was abruptly terminated without explanation, and she points out the wasted resources in training and hiring judges. Furthermore, Fujimoto is concerned about Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, which allows the government to bypass normal court procedures to deport people from countries at war, a law that was used to target Japanese Americans during WWII.

This shift in immigration policy, particularly the bypassing of legal procedures, threatens the American ideal of due process and raises questions about the country's commitment to fairness and justice.
Tags: United States of America

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