Former San Francisco Immigration Judge Sues Federal Government, Alleges Retaliatory Firing After Raising Concerns About Unaccompanied Minor

Chloe Dillon, a former immigration judge who served in San Francisco for three years, has filed a lawsuit against the federal government alleging she was terminated in August 2025 in retaliation for raising concerns about the detention of an apparent unaccompanied minor and for resisting directives that she says curtailed judicial discretion.

Allegations in the Complaint

According to Dillon's complaint, she received strong performance reviews and presided over thousands of cases with relatively few appeals, yet was dismissed without cause shortly after reporting potential legal and due-process violations to a supervisor.

The complaint alleges that in April 2025 the assistant chief immigration judge issued a directive instructing immigration judges to grant all Department of Homeland Security requests to transfer cases to a different venue. Dillon's attorneys say that directive conflicted with prior court rulings that preserved judges' discretion to decide motions to change venue.

Dillon raised her concerns in a meeting with Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Loi McCleskey. The complaint quotes McCleskey as expressing empathy but warning that "the White House" was paying attention and advising caution about pushing the issue further.

Specific Case at Issue

The complaint recounts that in July and August 2025 Dillon issued two orders denying ICE motions to re-calendar asylum cases that had been administratively closed because the respondents were unaccompanied minors. In late August, an individual who had been arrested by ICE appeared in Dillon's courtroom without counsel; court staff later told Dillon the person had been detained after leaving the courtroom.

When Dillon reviewed the file, she concluded the individual was likely a designated unaccompanied minor who should not have been placed into expedited removal proceedings and whose asylum claim should be handled by an asylum officer. That afternoon she emailed ACIJ McCleskey outlining her concerns and explicitly warning of potential statutory and due-process violations.

Her complaint states she was fired 48 hours after sending that email. Dillon's attorneys say she received a letter from the Acting Director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review stating the Attorney General was terminating her employment "pursuant to Article II of the Constitution."

Response From The Justice Department

In a statement to ABC News, a Justice Department spokesperson said the allegation is "patently false," adding that the Department does not typically comment on pending litigation or personnel matters. The statement also criticized prior policies under the Biden administration and said the department is working to restore integrity to the immigration system.

The complaint also notes that, according to the union representing immigration judges, more than 120 immigration judges were removed during the Trump administration's broader immigration-enforcement efforts—a context the filing raises as background to Dillon's removal and broader changes in immigration adjudication.

FILE PHOTO: Federal agents walk down a street during immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. (Ryan Murphy/AP)

What The Complaint Seeks

The lawsuit seeks relief for what Dillon's attorneys describe as unlawful retaliation for whistleblowing and for the alleged violations of statutory and due-process protections. The case remains pending in federal court.