Overview
- Loi McCleskey, the assistant chief immigration judge in San Francisco, was dismissed by email, according to multiple sources.
- Her removal makes her roughly the seventh judge ousted from the San Francisco Immigration Court in recent months, out of about 20 judges on that bench.
- TRAC data show McCleskey granted asylum in about 72% of cases, far above the national average but typical for Bay Area judges.
- Recent termination notices have given no reasons and have cited presidential authority over the immigration courts, retired Judge Dana Marks said.
- The Justice Department recently eased qualifications for temporary judges and the government authorized 600 military lawyers for those roles, while fired judges pursue challenges at the Merit Systems Protection Board and in court.