Overview
- Kyra Lilien filed a federal suit in the Northern District of California against the Department of Justice and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, seeking reinstatement, back pay, damages and a jury trial.
- Lilien alleges the DOJ refused to convert her probationary post because she is a registered Democrat, a woman over 40, fluent in Spanish and linked to immigrant‑rights groups.
- Her complaint cites early‑2025 memos from the Executive Office for Immigration Review that criticized DEI efforts and described immigrant advocacy groups as extremist, which she argues shows bias in staffing decisions.
- She says she earned top evaluations and ruled on time yet was told in July 2025 that her term would not become permanent as DOJ invoked the attorney general’s Article II removal authority.
- The suit comes as more than 100 immigration judges have been removed since 2025, with similar cases filed by former judges in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago and Cleveland, and local court closures and shortages raising backlog concerns.