Indian-origin immigration judge fired by Trump administration after blocking deportation of Palestinian students: ‘I tried to resist’

Indian-origin immigration judge Rupal Patel was fired by the Trump administration after blocking a high-profile deportation case involving pro-Palestinian students.Patel was one of six immigration judges fired by the Republican administration on Friday. She was fired along with her colleague Nina Froes after the judge allegedly came under pressure to favor deportation and reject the asylum application.Unlike federal judges, immigration judges are part of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and can be hired or fired by the Attorney General. Patel was appointed in 2024 and was removed from the post at the end of her two-year probationary period.Rumesa Ozturk was fired following a ruling in January that there was no legal basis for deporting Rumesa Ozturk. Ozturk, a Turkish-born student, had her visa revoked after she criticized the university’s stance on Palestine in a student newspaper. Froyes also dismissed a deportation case against Palestinian student and green card holder Mohsen Mahdawi in connection with anti-Israel campus protests.Both students were detained by immigration authorities in a crackdown on international students who expressed support for the Palestinian cause. The Republican administration has labeled several such protests as anti-Semitic.MAGA officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, believe that Mahadawi’s continued presence in the United States could “potentially undermine” U.S. foreign policy. However, civil liberties groups say the arrests and deportations are aimed at suppressing free speech.The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has challenged the decision in Ozturk’s case and said it would continue efforts to deport Mahadawi.Patel said the government’s expectations were clear. “I at least tried to actively resist that pressure,” she said in an interview. “All people in the United States are entitled to due process, and everyone deserves to have their case fully and fairly decided.”While Floss was working on her asylum case, she was told she had been fired and had to stop the hearing. Later, she wondered whether her decision in the case affected her dismissal. “I don’t know what other people are thinking,” she said. “But I can’t imagine how that helps.”The Trump administration has fired more than 100 immigration judges since returning to office while appointing more than 140 new judges who are seen as more in line with its strict and conservative immigration agenda. At the same time, more people than ever are being ordered to leave the country, fewer asylum applications are being accepted and cases are being decided faster. The massive backlog that built up under the previous administration is also starting to shrink.The New York Times reported that Patel and Flowers were granted asylum at a higher rate than the national average.