Immigration judges aren't judges in the conventional sense (like the ones in the judicial branch), so they don't have the legal power you're thinking of. They

Immigration judges aren't judges in the conventional sense (like the ones in the judicial branch), so they don't have the legal power you're thinking of. They are members of the executive branch and judges basically only in title. They are actually just shills ('delegates') for the AG, who as far as I can tell can override them by fiat. [ Not legal advice ] https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/1003.10 https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/1003.10