Immigration courts hiding the names of ICE lawyers goes against centuries of precedent and legal ethics requiring transparency in courts

This immigration court trend should scare you

By Cassandra Burke Robertson, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Professional Ethics, Case Western Reserve University.Something unusual is happening in U.S. immigration courts. Government lawyers are refusing to give their names during public hearings.In June 2025, Immigration Judge ShaSha Xu in New York City reportedly told lawyers in her courtroom: “We’re not really doing names publicly.” Only the government lawyers’ names were hi…

Immigration courts hiding the names of ICE lawyers goes against centuries of precedent and legal ethics requiring transparency in courts

Some immigration courts have allowed ICE attorneys to conceal their names during proceedings. Jacob Wackerhausen/iStock via Getty ImagesSomething unusual is happening in U.S. immigration courts. Government lawyers are refusing to give their names during public hearings. In June 2025, Immigration Judge ShaSha Xu in New York City reportedly told lawyers in her courtroom: “We’re not really doing names publicly.” Only the government lawyers’ names w…

Why ICE Lawyers Hide Their Names in Immigration Court

Key takeaways – ICE lawyers now often skip saying their names in open court – This breaks a long held rule of public access to trials – Immigration courts have fewer protections than other federal courts – Open hearings let the public check fair treatment – Lawyers and judges risk ethical trouble by hiding identities Immigration courts have a new problem. Lawyers for ICE no longer always state their names in hearings. Judges in New York began al…