Only nine judges left: Inside SF’s immigration court purge

Since January, the Trump administration has hollowed out San Francisco’s immigration court, firing all but nine of the 21 judges who started the year on the bench. The result is a court in disarray. Some judges keep their personal belongings packed in boxes, bracing for their dismissals. Staffers openly weep. Asylum seekers who have waited years for their day in court lose their place in line when their judge is fired, leaving them to wait years longer. On this week’s episode, a recently-fired jurist offers a rare look at a system in chaos. Background reading:  Trump violating immigration law ‘at an astonishing pace,’ says former judge ‘Shell-shocked’: SF Immigration Court reels from judge firings For more information on this week’s episode, visit sfstandard.com/pacific-standard-time. Transcripts of each episode are available on our website.  Support this podcast from The San Francisco Standard by becoming a member: www.sfstandard.com/member