Former San Francisco immigration judge Chloe Dillon has filed a federal lawsuit against Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Department of Justice, alleging she was fired in August 2025 in retaliation for questioning ICE's arrest of an unaccompanied minor outside her courtroom. Dillon claims she was terminated 48 hours after emailing her supervisor about the incident. The DOJ has called the allegations patently false, stating it is restoring integrity to the immigration system. Dillon's firing comes amid a broader sweep that has seen over 100 immigration judges terminated nationwide.
Dillon termination for whistleblowing
- ▪Former San Francisco immigration judge Chloe Dillon filed a federal lawsuit on September 10, 2026, alleging she was fired in retaliation for voicing concerns about the arrest of an unaccompanied minor.
- ▪Chloe Dillon was terminated from her position as an immigration judge in August 2025, approximately 48 hours after emailing her supervisor about the detention of an unaccompanied minor.
- ▪Department of Justice spokesperson Kiersten Pels stated that Chloe Dillon's retaliation allegations are patently false and that the department is restoring integrity to the immigration system.
- ▪An administration official stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement flagged Chloe Dillon and other immigration judges to the Department of Justice due to perceived bias in their rulings.
Unaccompanied minor detention incident
- ▪Chloe Dillon learned in August 2025 that Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested an unrepresented teenage asylum seeker after the teenager left her courtroom.
- ▪Chloe Dillon had delayed Immigration and Customs Enforcement's request to dismiss the teenager's case to allow the self-represented minor time to find a lawyer.
- ▪Chloe Dillon's lawsuit asserts that the arrested teenager was an unaccompanied minor who had the legal right to have an already-filed asylum application decided first by an asylum officer.
White House venue transfer pressure
- ▪In spring 2025, Chloe Dillon questioned a directive instructing immigration judges to routinely grant all venue-change motions filed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement trial attorneys.
- ▪Chloe Dillon's supervisor warned her in spring 2025 that the White House was watching the venue-change issue and cautioned her against resisting the directive.
Immigration judge firings under Trump
- ▪Chloe Dillon is one of 14 immigration judges who have been fired from the San Francisco immigration court since January 2025.
- ▪The Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review has terminated more than 100 immigration judges since January 2025.
- ▪The San Francisco immigration court was permanently closed on September 4, 2026, following a wave of judge firings and retirements.
Constitutional due process violations
- ▪Chloe Dillon's federal lawsuit alleges that her termination without notice, cause, or an opportunity to be heard violated her constitutional due process rights.
- ▪Chloe Dillon's lawsuit alleges her firing violated the First Amendment because the termination was based on her whistleblowing activity and perceived political views.
- ▪Chloe Dillon and other terminated immigration judges were provided no explanation in their termination notices beyond the attorney general's authority under Article II of the Constitution.
Debatable claims
- ▪Immigration courts should fast-track removal proceedings for unaccompanied minors
- ▪ICE should be prohibited from arresting asylum seekers at immigration courthouses
- ▪The Department of Justice should have the authority to terminate immigration judges without cause
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