Florida is now one step closer to using military officers as immigration judges, and that should

Florida is now one step closer to using military officers as immigration judges, and that should alarm every single immigrant in this country. ⚖️ A recent article in the Miami Herald explains that Trump approved Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ plan to deputize National Guard Judge Advocate General officers to serve as immigration judges at a new state-run detention center deep in the Everglades, which is already being called Alligator Alcatraz. Under this plan, nine military lawyers would receive just six weeks of training before presiding over cases that determine whether a person is deported or allowed to remain in the United States. DeSantis described the move as cutting through bureaucracy, but let’s be clear. Immigration proceedings are already far from perfect, and handing this power to military officers with only six weeks of training will only make things worse for the people going through them. Immigration judges already operate under intense pressure and enormous caseloads. Replacing them with hastily trained military officers is not a reform. It’s a deliberate shortcut designed to accelerate deportations, not to ensure justice. 📄 The detention facility is built on a former airstrip in the Everglades, a location chosen specifically to allow deportation flights to leave directly from the site. Florida’s attorney general called it a one-stop shop for immigration enforcement: come in, get processed, and fly right on out. For asylum seekers, the stakes could not be higher. 🚨 The government is doing everything in its power to make it harder to win asylum, but I assure you it’s not impossible. My law firm won cases during the first Trump administration, and we’re winning them now during Trump 2.0. We’re going to keep winning asylum cases. If you need help with an asylum case, send me the word “CONSULT” in a direct message.