It is disgraceful that the primary concern of the Department of Justice lies with the situation of immigration judges inappropriately appointed rather than with the people whose fate lies in their inexperienced hands.
On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey acknowledged that his department’s hiring was handled improperly. Managers used appointments as political plums instead of seeking ability and knowledge for the designated positions.
We are angry that Mukasey doesn't want to inconvenience those inappropiately appointed because they didn’t do "anything wrong." Rather, he said it would be "unfair, and possibly illegal....to fire or reassign them."
We believe the injustice is that cases of political asylum and separation of families are at the mercy of individuals selected only for their loyalty to the Republican Party. While there are some political positions for such appointments, immigration judgeships are not among them because of the issue's complexity and the need for specialized knowledge.
The Department of Justice is charged with ensuring people’s rights. Mukasey’s duty is to ensure that those who come before an immigration court receive due and fair process, and this starts with competent judges.
If his department acted improperly, as he has acknowledged, the right thing to do is to rectify the damage done. Indeed, the nominees are not at fault, but neither should people suffer because of the Justice Department’s flawed process.
Mukasey’s excuse for inaction is unacceptable. He must rectify what is wrong in his department and prevent more dire consequences.
