Ex-Judge Sues DOJ Over Bias, Rights Violations in Firing

A former immigration judge in California has filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Justice and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, alleging her termination violated her civil rights and First Amendment protections due to her political affiliation, gender, age, language skills, and ties to immigrant rights groups.

Kyra Lilien, a registered Democrat who served at the San Francisco and Concord immigration courts, claims she was dismissed abruptly during a probationary period despite meeting or exceeding performance standards. Appointed to the San Francisco court on July 23, 2023, and transferred to Concord in February 2024, Lilien worked nearly two years, the standard probationary length for immigration judges. She received satisfactory ratings, the highest possible during probation, for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, according to the lawsuit.

Lilien alleges she learned of her removal via a three-line email while presiding over an active hearing. "I was on the record in the middle of a hearing, and I got the email," she said. "It was only three lines long, and it said I needed to leave and turn in my laptop and badge immediately and leave." The notice, dated around...