Is the DOJ Politicizing its Hiring of Immigration Judges (Again)?

In this letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, several members of the House of Representatives (Reps. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), and Don Beyer (D-VA)), write to express their concern regarding allegations that the Department of Justice is using ideology and politics as a consideration in its hiring of new immigration judges and members of the Board of Immigration Appeals. 

From the letter:  “These allegations are extremely troubling not only because they may violate federal law and repeat the mistakes of the past, but also because they further aggravate the critical need for more immigration judges and BIA officials to address the massive backlogs in immigration hearings across the country.”

The press release notes that the DOJ has made similar mistakes in the past:  “In 2008, an investigation conducted by the Inspector General and the Office of Professional Responsibility found that aides to then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales ‘considered political or ideological affiliations’ when evaluating immigration judge candidates and candidates for the BIA.  The report warned that “both Department policy and federal law prohibit discrimination in hiring for career positions on the basis of political affiliations.””

The letter goes on to share the information that has been received:  “Our offices recently received information alleging that the Department of Justice has targeted multiple candidates for immigration judge or BIA positions based on their perceived political or ideological views.  These candidates reportedly have had their offers suspended or withdrawn due to these improper considerations…We have confirmed that the Department has delayed multiple offers for these positions for unusually long amounts of time and, in one case, withdrew an offer with an explanation that raises suspicions about the actual motive for the withdrawal.”

-JKoh