Trump administration removes Indian-American judge who delivered verdict on pro-Palestinian student.

News Topical, Digital Desk : The Trump administration in the US has decided to remove Indian-origin immigration judge Rupal Patel from her position. According to reports, the action came after the judge ruled in favor of a pro-Palestinian student in a high-profile deportation case. Patel was one of six immigration judges fired by the GOP administration on Friday.

It should be noted that, unlike federal judges, immigration judges work under the Department of Justice (DOJ) and can be appointed or dismissed by the Attorney General. Patel was appointed in 2024 and was nearing the end of her two-year probationary period when she was removed from her position.

The decision was given not to deport the Turkish student

His removal follows a ruling in January that found no legal basis for deporting Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkiye-born student whose visa was revoked after she criticized her university on Palestinian issues in a student newspaper.

While the GOP administration has labeled many of these protests as anti-Semitic, MAGA officials, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have argued that such actions could potentially undermine US foreign policy. However, civil liberties groups say these arrests and deportation attempts were aimed at suppressing freedom of expression.

Patel opposed the Trump administration

"The administration's expectations were clear, and it was pressure that I tried to at least actively resist," Patel said in an interview. "Everyone living in the United States has the right to due process, and everyone has the right to have their cases fully and fairly adjudicated."

It's worth noting that since returning to power, the Trump administration has removed more than 100 immigration judges and appointed more than 140 new judges perceived as more aligned with his strict and conservative immigration policies. Furthermore, more people are being ordered to deport, fewer asylum applications are being granted, and cases are being decided more quickly.

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