Fired California Immigration Judge Sues DOJ Over Political Bias Claims

A California immigration judge dismissed by the Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice alleging she lost her job due to her status as a registered Democrat and ties to immigrant-rights groups.

The 14-page complaint by Kyra Lilien names the DOJ and Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche as defendants. Lilien argues she was not retained beyond her probationary period because she is a woman over 40, speaks fluent Spanish and has connections to the Hispanic community.

Kevin Owen, an attorney with Gilbert Employment Law in Maryland representing Lilien, told FOX San Francisco that she did not fit their mold and that the actions against her were impermissible and unlawful.

The lawsuit contends that her firing violated Lilien's civil rights and First Amendment protections.

Lilien started at the San Francisco Immigration Court on July 23, 2023, and moved to the Concord Immigration Court in February 2024. She served nearly two years, the standard probationary period for immigration judges under Justice Department policy before conversion to permanent status.

The filing lists nearly 30 other immigration judges nationwide who were fired or not converted from probationary status, including 14 from the Concord and San Francisco courts. It notes that those terminated or not converted around the same time as Lilien were overwhelmingly female.

Fox News Digital has contacted Lilien's attorney, the DOJ and the DOJ's Executive Office for Immigration Review.

During her tenure, Lilien met or exceeded all performance standards, the lawsuit states. She earned satisfactory assessments, the top rating, in her probationary reports for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Data from TRAC Immigration shows she denied 34 percent of asylum claims in her court.

On July 11, 2025, Lilien received notice that her probationary period would not convert to permanent status. The message said the attorney general decided against extending her term or making it permanent under Article II of the Constitution.

The suit further claims that Sirce Owen, acting EOIR director at the time, issued memos in early 2025 showing hostility toward immigrant advocacy groups and certain hiring practices. Owen called those groups "extremist leftist organizations" that promote illegal immigration and seek to undermine immigration courts, according to the complaint. He also issued a memo criticizing Biden administration appointment practices.