A federal immigration judge fired by the Trump administration has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Department of Justice, claiming her termination violated civil rights laws protecting employees from dismissal based on race, sex, and political affiliation.

The Lawsuit Details

Florence Chamberlin, appointed to the immigration bench in September 2023 during the Biden administration, filed her complaint Tuesday in San Francisco federal court. The lawsuit names the DOJ and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as defendants. Chamberlin served as an immigration judge in California for approximately two years before her termination. Her attorney, Kevin Owen, represents three additional terminated judges preparing similar legal actions against the Justice Department.

The complaint alleges the Trump administration targeted Chamberlin for her previous work defending immigrants from deportation and her background as a Cuban American woman. Before joining the bench, she spent nearly 25 years advocating for immigrants, most recently serving as managing director of the Ciudad Juarez office of Kids in Need of Defense. According to the lawsuit, judges with exclusively prosecutorial backgrounds who never represented immigrants remained in their positions.

Constitutional Authority Dispute

The case centers on whether the executive branch must comply with federal civil rights protections. The DOJ argues the president has authority under Article II of the Constitution to act without congressional oversight, including regarding employment decisions. Owen challenges this interpretation, stating that civil rights laws apply to all federal employees regardless of the administration in power. The Justice Department declined to comment on pending litigation when contacted.

Pattern of Terminations

Chamberlin’s lawsuit represents one of at least four recent complaints from terminated immigration judges alleging discrimination. The lawsuits claim the Justice Department systematically removed judges with Hispanic, Latino, Middle Eastern, and Asian backgrounds, along with those who had advocated for immigrant rights, replacing them with white male judges. Immigration judges typically serve a 24-month probationary period before receiving permanent appointments. The outcome of these cases could establish important precedents regarding presidential authority over federal employment decisions and the application of civil rights protections within the executive branch.