Trump Administration Fires Immigration Judges Who Blocked Deportations

Roopal Patel, who ruled against Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk's deportation, was among those terminated.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 11:10am

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A dimly lit, cinematic painting of an empty immigration courtroom, with sunlight streaming through the windows and creating deep shadows, conveying a sense of solemnity and the gravity of judicial decisions.

The firing of immigration judges who have ruled against deportations casts a long shadow over the judicial process and free speech rights.Boston Today

The Trump administration has fired several immigration judges across the country, including Roopal Patel, the Boston judge who blocked Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk's deportation in January. Patel told The Boston Globe that she is unsure if her decision in Öztürk's case led to her firing on Friday.

Why it matters

The firing of immigration judges who have ruled against deportations raises concerns about political interference in the judicial process and the administration's targeting of noncitizens for their free speech, as was alleged in Öztürk's case.

The details

Immigration judges are employees of the executive branch and can be removed by a presidential administration. The State Department revoked Öztürk's student visa, which her supporters say was in retaliation for her co-writing an op-ed in the Tufts student newspaper criticizing Israel and expressing sympathy for Palestinians. Öztürk spent over six weeks in ICE detention in Louisiana before a judge ruled that the Department of Homeland Security did not have enough evidence to deport her.

Roopal Patel ruled against Öztürk's deportation in January 2026.
Patel was fired by the Trump administration on Friday, April 13, 2026.

The players

Roopal Patel

A Boston-based immigration judge who ruled against the deportation of Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk in January 2026.

Rümeysa Öztürk

A Tufts University student whose student visa was revoked by the State Department, which her supporters say was in retaliation for her co-writing an op-ed criticizing Israel and expressing sympathy for Palestinians.