What is an Immigration Court? Does the president have too much control over it?

From the Washington Post: - Democrats demand reform after judge says DOJ ordered her to reverse rulings.

Congressional Democrats have again demanded urgent reforms to the country’s immigration court system after The Washington Post revealed a veteran judge’s allegations that she was ordered to reverse rulings and urged to conduct sham bond hearings.

Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Dick Durbin of Illinois, both longtime critics of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, renewed calls this week to pass a bill that would remove immigration judges from the authority of the executive branch.

They spoke out in response to the story of Karen Donoso Stevens, a former Homeland Security prosecutor who joined the bench in 2016. After persistent interference by Justice Department officials, Donoso Stevens alleged, she was pulled from court mid-hearing, demoted and eventually fired.


Related questions: 

- What is an immigration court?

- What is a federal administrative tribunal?

- What is a administrative adjudication?

- Outline the development of immigration courts in the United States.

- What current controversies involve immigration courts?

- What jurisdiction does Congress have over immigration courts?

- What legislation has been introduced recently to change immigration courts?

- Are state and local governments ever litigants in proceedings before immigration courts?