AILA ED: Supreme Court Declines Case, Further Undermining Independence of Immigration Courts

WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up a case brought by the cities of Baltimore, Columbus, and New Haven, joined by Centro Legal de la Raza, asking the Court to block an immigration-related agreement between the Department of Justice and the State of Texas to eliminate longstanding immigration court procedures, bypassing legal requirements, public input, and meaningful judicial review. AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson responded:

“In this case, the State of Texas and the federal Department of Justice struck a deal to strip immigration judges of authority to manage their docket. With immigration judges burdened by enormous dockets of about 6,000 cases, judges typically prioritize cases that are ready for decision and postpone those that are not ready. The rule of administrative closure was an example of good government. Forcing a judge to hear a case that is also being reviewed by USCIS is inefficient and wasteful of government resources and taxpayers’ dollars. Once again, the highest court in the land has ducked its responsibility, or worse yet is bowing to the political pressure of an Administration bent on weaponizing the immigration courts rather than ensuring they operate with integrity, balance, and due process consistent with the Constitution.

“The ‘independence’ of immigration judges has become fiction. The Trump Administration has repeatedly attacked judge’s independence and coopted the courts to advance its mass deportation campaign.”