Iranian-American Immigration Judge Sues Over Being Barred from Hearing Cases Related to Iran

A sitting immigration judge in Los Angeles is suing the government for barring her from hearing cases involving Iranian nationals, allegedly because of her background and ties to the Iranian-American community, according to court papers obtained today.

A. Ashley Tabaddor filed suit Tuesday, contending that the U.S. Department of Justice based its 2012 disqualification order on racially motivated and discriminatory criteria -- her Iranian heritage and leadership role within the Iranian-American community.

She alleges that the order was issued after she attended a White House roundtable discussion with Iranian-American community leaders organized by the Office of Public Engagement.

The DOJ media office in Washington, D.C., did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The complaint raises a First Amendment challenge to the DOJ policy embodied by the indefinite recusal order, which Tabaddor claims violates the free speech and associational rights of all immigration judges to participate in speaking, educational and volunteer activities on their own time and in their personal capacities.

According to the National Association of Immigration Judges, the blanket order contradicts written DOJ ethics policies applicable to immigration judges that affirmatively encourage civic engagement.

Prior to her appointment as immigration judge in 2005, Tabaddor served as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.

--City News Service

PHOTO Judge A. Ashley Tabaddor. Photo courtesy UCLA.