DOJ Fires US Immigration Judges Who Ruled for Pro-Palestine Activists

Judges Roopal Patel and Nina Froes were dismissed after rulings favoring student activists facing deportation proceedings.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 2:29am

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A dimly lit, empty immigration courtroom with wooden benches and a raised judge's bench, bathed in warm, diagonal sunlight that casts deep shadows, conveying a sense of quiet melancholy and the gravity of the judicial system's impact on the lives of immigrants.The dismissal of immigration judges who ruled against the administration's deportation agenda casts a somber shadow over the integrity of the judicial process for immigrants.Boston Today

The U.S. Department of Justice has reportedly fired two immigration judges, Roopal Patel and Nina Froes, who previously ruled in favor of pro-Palestinian student activists facing deportation proceedings. The firings are seen as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reshape the immigration court system to align with its policy agenda of increased deportations.

Why it matters

The dismissals of Patel and Froes raise concerns about the independence and impartiality of the immigration court system, as judges appear to be facing consequences for rulings that do not align with the administration's political agenda. This could have a chilling effect on other judges and undermine the integrity of the judicial process for immigrants facing deportation.

The details

Judges Patel and Froes were serving in probationary judgeship positions when they were informed they would not be granted permanent status. Patel, an immigration judge in Boston, believed her rulings in favor of student activists Rümeysa Öztürk and Mohsen Mahdawi were a factor in her dismissal, despite her belief that she could have ruled either way and still been fired. The Merit Systems Board of Protection recently ruled that the attorney general has the authority to fire immigration judges as Justice Department appointees, despite the traditional understanding of judges as distinct from other executive political appointments.

  • In January 2026, Judge Patel found that the Department of Homeland Security had not met its burden to remove Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk, who faced deportation proceedings after writing an op-ed criticizing the university's stance on Israel and Palestine.
  • Also in January 2026, Judge Froes dismissed a case against Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi, who participated in Israel-Palestine protests on campus.

The players

Roopal Patel

An immigration judge in Boston who was fired by the Trump administration's Justice Department after ruling in favor of pro-Palestinian student activists facing deportation proceedings.

Nina Froes

An immigration judge who was also fired by the Trump administration's Justice Department after ruling in favor of pro-Palestinian student activists facing deportation proceedings.

Rümeysa Öztürk

A Tufts University student who faced deportation proceedings after writing an op-ed criticizing the university's stance on Israel and Palestine.

Mohsen Mahdawi

A Columbia University student who participated in Israel-Palestine protests on campus and faced deportation proceedings.

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What they’re saying

“I could have ruled either way in that case and probably would have still ended up fired.”

— Roopal Patel, Immigration Judge

“The firings were likely 'informed by a kind of political agenda to kind of reshape the immigration bench to reflect the policy agenda of the current administration to be one of mass deportations.'”

— Roopal Patel, Immigration Judge

What’s next

The National Association of Immigration Judges, an immigration judge union, has reported that Patel and Froes were two of six judges fired over the weekend, and that the administration has fired over 100 immigration judges since Trump took office, a significant increase compared to previous administrations.

The takeaway

The dismissals of Judges Patel and Froes highlight the Trump administration's efforts to reshape the immigration court system to align with its policy agenda of increased deportations, raising concerns about the independence and impartiality of the judicial process for immigrants facing deportation proceedings.