Trump administration faces a whistleblower lawsuit after a veteran immigration judge was axed for flagging ICE misconduct

Trump administration faces a whistleblower lawsuit from a former immigration judge in California. She claims she was fired after raising concerns about the detention of an unaccompanied minor by federal immigration agents.

Chloe Dillon alleges that her termination came shortly after she reported what she believed could be violations of federal law and due process. Her lawsuit argues that the firing was retaliation for protected whistleblowing activity.

Per ABC, Dillon had also raised concerns about policies governing immigration cases and ICE requests to move cases between courts. She claims a supervisor warned her that the White House was paying attention to the issue and told her to be careful about pushing it further.

The lawsuit now puts the firing itself under scrutiny

Dillon’s complaint centers on an unaccompanied minor who appeared in immigration court without an attorney after being arrested by ICE. She says she reviewed the person’s file and became concerned that the individual was almost certainly an unaccompanied minor who could not be placed into expedited removal proceedings.

She then emailed Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Loi McCleskey to raise concerns about potential violations of statutory law and due process. Dillon’s attorneys allege that she was fired 48 hours later.

The termination notice reportedly said the attorney general was ending her employment pursuant to Article II of the Constitution. Dillon’s lawsuit argues that the firing violated whistleblower protections and her constitutional rights.

The Justice Department strongly disputes that account. In the report, a department spokesperson said that the allegation was “patently false,” while declining to provide a detailed response to the pending litigation.

The case also lands amid a broader wave of immigration judge removals under the Trump administration. The union representing immigration judges says more than 120 judges have been removed, adding another layer of scrutiny to Dillon’s claim that her firing was retaliation for speaking up.