Foreign-Born Judges Tend to Rule Against Trump’s Border Policies

2 min read

A new study conducted by the watchdog group Bench Receipts has found that foreign-born federal judges are more likely to rule against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and border enforcement measures. The audit examined the decisions of 58 foreign-born federal judges and compared them to the broader U.S. federal judiciary to assess whether their rulings were influenced by their place of birth.

Analysis of Judicial Decisions

The study found that foreign-born judges issued anti-border enforcement rulings at a rate of 61.9%, compared to 34.0% for the national average. Additionally, they were more likely to depart from criminal sentencing guidelines, with a 45.3% rate of below-guideline criminal departures, versus 31.0% nationally.

Impact of Pre-Judge Careers

The audit revealed that the ideological leanings of these judges were more closely tied to their pre-judge careers than their place of birth. Judges appointed by Democratic presidents often had backgrounds in left-wing think tanks, social justice organizations, or public defender roles, which are associated with activist leftism. These judges were found to have issued rulings that reflected these ideological inclinations, often blocking border enforcement and supporting criminal defendants.

Contrast with Republican Appointees

In contrast, judges appointed by Republican presidents were found to have rulings that largely aligned with the U.S. federal judicial baseline, emphasizing strict law-and-order adherence. The study highlighted that the 14 Trump and 1 Bush appointees averaged an anti-border rate of 14.3% and a sovereignty score of 86.9, outperforming the U.S.-born federal baseline.

Notable Cases

The most anti-sovereignty judges included four Biden appointees and one Obama appointee, with four of them voting against U.S. border sovereignty more than 90% of the time. Among them, Federal Judge Jon Tigar of the Northern District of California stood out, with an anti-border ruling rate of 94% and a 65% below crime guidelines rate. Tigar, born in London, England, was a public defender before his 2013 appointment by Barack Obama.

Conclusion

The study concluded that the primary factor influencing judicial rulings was the appointing president and the pre-judge career of the judge, rather than their place of birth. This suggests that the ideological leanings of the judiciary are more deeply rooted in the political and professional backgrounds of the judges than in their nationality.

Source: Breitbart

Written by

Connor Davis