The US Department of Justice has dismissed at least six immigration judges, including two who ruled against the Trump administration in cases involving pro-Palestinian university students. Among those fired were Roopal Patel and Nina Froes, who had respectively blocked efforts to deport Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University PhD student, and Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University activist and Palestinian rights campaigner, both arrested as part of the administration's crackdown on Gaza-related campus protests. Speaking to the Guardian, Patel said she believes the dismissals reflect a broader effort to reshape the immigration judiciary along political lines, warning that losing experienced judges while simultaneously accelerating deportation proceedings leaves less room for due process and increases the risk of legal errors.