Runaway Country with Alex Wagner Justice Has Left the Building
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Oct 23, 2025 
Anam Raman Petit, a former immigration judge, shares her eye-opening experience of being fired and the alarming erosion of due process in U.S. immigration courts. She discusses the chilling effects of masked ICE agents in courtrooms and the emotional toll of judicial removals. Andrew Weissmann, a former lead prosecutor, reveals insights into the assaults on the DOJ under Trump and the personal risks facing legal officials. Together, they explore the bleak reality of legal processes and the future of rule of law in America.
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Courtroom Detention That Derailed A Case
- Anam Raman Petit described witnessing an immigrant detained at their scheduled final hearing, leaving the mother sobbing and without information.
- The detention forced restarting the case on the detained docket and added inefficiency to an already backlogged system.
Judges Feeling Unprotected During Hearings
- Petit recalled judges asking masked or hat-wearing ICE agents to remove coverings in court but still feeling unprotected due to low court security.
- She sometimes presided without a law clerk or bailiff while commotion in hallways disrupted testimony.
Why Judges Are Being Removed
- Andrew Weissmann argued the firings likely aim to install compliant decision-makers or to bypass legal process entirely.
- He suggested the administration may not intend to use courts legitimately, preferring extraction and detention.