By Saluja Law – Protecting Due Process, Defending Families, and Standing for the Rule of Law
Across the country, a quiet but profound shift is taking place inside the nation's immigration courts. What used to be quasi-judicial forums—imperfect but functional—have rapidly transformed into high-risk zones where immigrants complying with the law find themselves ensnared in coordinated enforcement actions.
Over the last nine months, under directives issued during President Trump's second term, courthouse arrests have become normalized, judges have been terminated in unprecedented numbers, and the very concept of due process has been subordinated to deportation quotas. What is emerging is not an orderly system of adjudication but a pipeline to expedited removal.
This is not alarmism. It is happening in real time, in real courtrooms, to real families.
A Routine Hearing Turned Deportation Trap
The Associated Press recently reported a chilling scene inside a U.S. immigration court:
A Cuban man—who had lived here for years—appeared for what he believed was a routine hearing. He did what the law requires. He brought his U.S.-resident wife and their small baby. He complied.
Inside the courtroom, however, his case had already been targeted.
Text messages obtained from a DHS lawyer show coordinated planning between government attorneys and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents waiting in the hallway. Within minutes, the government moved to dismiss his asylum application—a procedural maneuver that instantly made him eligible for expedited removal.
When the hearing ended, he stepped into the hallway and was swarmed by plainclothes ICE officers. His wife's screams echoed down the corridor.
Four minutes later, the ICE agent texted the DHS lawyer:
“Got him.”
Due Process on the Brink
For decades, immigration courts have struggled with underfunding and political oversight, but the latest changes represent a dramatic escalation:
1. Mass Firings of Judges
Nearly 90 immigration judges have been fired in less than a year—many during their probationary periods—often without explanation. Many granted asylum at higher-than-average rates.
2. Coordinated Courthouse Arrest Operations
Reporters observed cases dismissed solely to enable immediate ICE arrest.
3. Quotas Over Justice
Judges must complete 700 cases annually, giving them mere minutes to decide life-or-death claims.
4. Elimination of Legal Access Programs
The administration eliminated $30 million in legal-assistance programs.
5. Growing Chilling Effect
Migrants fear appearing in person, leading to missed hearings or voluntary departures.
A System Designed to Fail
Immigration judges, DHS lawyers, and officials describe the new reality as tormenting, haunting, and contrary to the principles they swore to uphold.
What This Means for Immigrants, Asylum Seekers & the Rule of Law
At Saluja Law, we represent clients who know the stakes intimately. The danger is immediate:
Appearing at a hearing can result in arrest.
Cases dismissed before testimony.
Judges removed for granting asylum too often.
Legal protections weakening rapidly.
Our Commitment
Saluja Law remains steadfast:
We defend due process.
We fight for families.
We prepare clients for the risks of in-person hearings.
We advocate for fairness, dignity, and the rule of law.
We will continue to fight—case by case, courtroom by courtroom—because the people we represent deserve nothing less.