UN: Trump administration should stop interfering with judicial independence

A United Nations Special Rapporteur has strongly criticized the recent moves by the Donald Trump administration to dismiss and appoint new judicial officials, expressing concern that these actions are part of threats to the independence of the US judicial system.

"Since the new US administration took office on January 20, 2025, a large number of lawyers, prosecutors and judges handling immigration cases have been reassigned, transferred or dismissed without due process," said Margaret Satterthwaite, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers.

He added that the lawyers affected by the actions include many prosecutors in the US Department of Justice who were fired after participating in the criminal investigation against Trump or the January 6, 2021, raid by his supporters on the US Capitol.

The UN Special Rapporteur also added: "Since the dismissal of these lawyers and advocates, several prosecutors from the Ministry of Justice have resigned. These measures have been used as a weapon against officials of the previous government."

The UN Special Rapporteur continued: “I am deeply concerned that these measures are part of the ongoing threats to the integrity of the judiciary and its independence.”

 Margaret Satterthwaite continued: "The US government must end its interference in judicial matters and ensure that politics has no place in the judicial system."