Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) to introduce the Temporary Immigration Judge Integrity Act, legislation to prevent inexperienced temporary immigration judge appointments in light of the Trump administration’s abuse of loopholes in current regulations. U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (D, CA-52) is introducing companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Following the Trump administration’s mass firing of immigration judges and authorizing of up to 600 military lawyers to serve as temporary immigration judges, the bill aims to close the loopholes the administration has been utilizing to speed up their mass deportation agenda – such as the lack of due process protections for individuals in immigration court proceedings.
“The Trump administration has already fired or forced out over 100 immigration judges across the country as part of their callous anti-immigrant crusade, and now they are allowing attorneys with zero prior immigration law experience to serve as temporary judges in immigration cases, making hugely consequential decisions about families’ futures,” said Senator Murray. “Every person deserves a fair hearing. The Temporary Immigration Judge Integrity Act is about making sure anyone serving as a judge in an immigration hearing has the basic qualifications to do the job, and that the Trump administration can’t keep unqualified temporary judges in place indefinitely.”
The bill would:
- Cap temporary immigration judge appointments at four consecutive six-month terms: 2-year maximum service limit with at least a 3-year break in between services;
- Prevent military attorneys and Judge Advocate Generals (JAGs) from being appointed as temporary immigration judges;
- Authorize appointments of attorneys at the Department of Justice (DOJ) who meet the eligibility requirements;
- Establish basic training requirements.
In addition to Senators Murray and Schiff, the bill is co-sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
The full text of the bill can be found HERE.
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