Appeals court to consider President Trump’s bid to remove two immigration judges, raising questions about federal hiring and firing power

President Donald Trump’s effort to remove two immigration judges is set to be reviewed by a federal appeals court this fall, according to CBS News Politics. The litigation focuses on whether the President can pursue the firings in the manner described by the administration and what legal authority governs the removal of immigration judges who are part of the federal immigration adjudication system.

CBS News Politics reports that the appeal will be considered later this year, placing the dispute on a courtroom track rather than being resolved within the immigration court system itself. The case is being treated as a test of presidential authority over federal workers, specifically in the context of immigration judges.

The immigration courts operate under the Department of Justice, and immigration judges conduct removal proceedings and other adjudications under U.S. immigration law. Because immigration judges are responsible for deciding cases that can affect liberty and other fundamental interests, challenges to their removal can quickly become central to due process questions for parties appearing before them as well as to questions about the limits of executive power over federal personnel.

The core practical issue in the dispute, as described by CBS News Politics, is the effect that any court ruling could have on how immigration judges are retained or removed going forward. If the administration’s approach is upheld, it could report a broader reading of presidential leverage over federal adjudicative personnel. If it is rejected, it could reinforce constraints on removals and sustain existing legal protections for judicial independence within the immigration adjudication process.

CBS News Politics said the case could carry significant implications for federal workers generally, not only those in immigration courts. In disputes like this, the court’s reasoning can affect how agencies implement personnel changes, what procedural protections apply, and how future legal challenges are framed when the executive branch seeks to alter staffing or leadership roles involving adjudication and review.

The appeal’s timing in the fall means the dispute is likely to coincide with the ongoing flow of immigration cases through the courts, while the legal questions are resolved. Until the appellate court issues a decision, immigration judges and litigants may continue to operate under the current structure, while the case proceeds through the federal review process. A final outcome would determine what standards apply to similar removal efforts in the future.