In a surprising move late Monday, the Trump administration made waves by firing four key officials at the Justice Department’s Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR), the office responsible for overseeing U.S. immigration courts.
The officials let go were:
- Sheila McNulty, the Chief Immigration Judge
- Mary Cheng, Acting Director of EOIR
- Jill Anderson, the office’s General Counsel
- Lauren Alder Reid, Head of Policy
What makes this even more striking is that all of these officials were career civil servants, not political appointees. This means their positions were not tied to any political party or administration—they were seasoned professionals with years of experience in immigration law.
Lauren Alder Reid, one of the fired officials, expressed her shock, saying: “My colleagues and I are deeply disappointed in being removed from our roles without any notice or cause. We’ve spent our careers fighting for justice, no matter who’s in power. This won’t stop us from pursuing what’s right.”
The firings left many stunned, especially since these officials had decades of experience leading the nation’s immigration courts—courts already under immense strain. With more than 3 million cases currently backlogged, these judges and officials were instrumental in managing the complex and ever-growing immigration system.
At the time of the firings, spokespeople from the administration and the EOIR were unavailable for comment, leaving many wondering about the reasoning behind the decision.
It’s important to note that these firings happened right after President Trump signed a series of executive orders related to immigration, marking the beginning of his promises to overhaul the immigration system and carry out mass deportations from day one of his presidency.
While the full implications of these firings remain to be seen, it’s clear that this shake-up signals significant changes ahead for U.S. immigration policy.
Stay tuned, as we follow this unfolding story!
