Former federal immigration judge Edwin Pieters alleges his recent dismissal from the Department of Justice (DOJ) was politically motivated, despite receiving satisfactory performance reviews during his two-year tenure. Pieters, appointed during the Trump administration, claims his termination letter cited "performance and conduct" as reasons for his non-permanent status, despite consistent satisfactory evaluations and no prior indications of performance issues. He expressed his belief that his association with the previous administration played a significant role in the decision.

Pieters, who began his role in 2021 under President Biden, had completed his probationary period and was expecting a permanent position. He highlighted his positive evaluations, noting commendations for his temperament and courtroom presence. Challenging the DOJ's justification, he questioned whether his political affiliations were the true reason for his dismissal.

The DOJ, declining to comment specifically on Pieters' case, affirmed its standard process for evaluating career civil service employees, stating that decisions are based solely on performance and not influenced by the appointing administration. However, Pieters recounted an earlier incident where he was questioned about personal tweets and retweets that allegedly suggested bias. While his supervisor at the time acknowledged that his political views did not appear to impact his judicial decisions, Pieters questioned whether this incident contributed to his eventual termination. He directly asked his supervisors if his outcome would have been different had his social media activity reflected support for the Biden administration, to which they reportedly offered no response.

Pieters' dismissal coincides with a growing backlog of immigration cases, currently numbering over two million, and a rising number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. This situation has prompted calls for increased resources, including Rep. Tony Gonzales' suggestion to deploy more immigration judges to the border to expedite case processing. Pieters’ case adds another layer to the ongoing debate surrounding immigration policy and the challenges faced by the justice system.