A federal immigration judge appointed by Joe Biden in 2023 and fired by the Trump administration two years later is suing the government, alleging she was illegally terminated based on her sex, race, and political views. Florence Chamberlin, an experienced attorney and immigrant rights advocate, claims in a discrimination lawsuit that the Department of Justice (DOJ) objected to her background “advocating for immigrants and immigrant rights” and her identity as a Cuban woman.
Chamberlin’s complaint, filed in San Francisco federal court, names the DOJ and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as defendants. It alleges that senior Trump officials, including White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, held her Democratic Party membership against her. The complaint notes that other immigration judges with exclusively prosecutorial backgrounds were retained, while Chamberlin was dismissed.
Chamberlin is among at least four terminated judges who have filed similar complaints, accusing the DOJ of targeting individuals based on Hispanic, Latino, Middle Eastern, or Asian backgrounds, or their history of supporting immigrants’ rights, and replacing them with white men. Attorney Kevin Owen, representing Chamberlin, stated he has three more cases ready to file.
The DOJ argues that the president has broad authority under Article II of the Constitution to fire employees without regard to civil rights laws. Owen countered, “The executive branch is not immune from civil rights laws.” The lawsuits follow a major upheaval in immigration courts as the Trump administration pushes to deport at least 1 million people annually.
Chamberlin was appointed on September 23, 2023, and served in California. Before her appointment, she spent nearly 25 years defending noncitizens from deportation, most recently as managing director of the Ciudad Juarez office of Kids in Need of Defense. During her probationary period, she adjudicated 2,714 cases—far exceeding the target of 1,400—and received the highest performance ratings.
After Trump returned to office, four women in permanent leadership positions in the immigration court system were fired, including then-Chief Immigration Judge Sheila McNulty. In February, Bondi issued a memo targeting “illegal DEI preferences,” and top immigration court official Sirce E. Owen released memos criticizing Biden’s judicial appointments and vowing to “rectify those harms.” The DOJ declined to comment on pending litigation.
