Washington, DC - The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announces the investiture of 46 immigration judges, including two assistant chief immigration judges, marking for the second month in a row the largest class in the agency’s history.
“At this point in history your work is vitally important. The case backlog has reached more than 760,000. Great effort is surely needed,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions at today’s investiture. “This situation is unacceptable. It cannot continue. Our nation’s chief executive supports you and all who strive to make our immigration system work.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed these new judges after a thorough application process and welcomed them during a ceremony held Sept. 28, 2018. Chief Immigration Judge MaryBeth Keller presided over the investiture held at the Department of Justice’s Great Hall in Washington, D.C.
“EOIR continues to make great progress in hiring the immigration judges needed to reduce a backlog of nearly 750,000 pending immigration court cases,” said James McHenry, Director of EOIR. “Alongside our efforts to improve immigration judge productivity and modernize our information technology systems, growing our immigration judge corps remains a top agency priority.”
In 2017, Attorney General Sessions announced a “streamlined hiring plan” promoting the use of clear deadlines and efficient hiring processes, resulting in a reduction of 74 percent in the time it takes to onboard immigration judges since then. Since the end of January 2017, 128 immigration judges have been sworn in. EOIR anticipates two additional hiring classes this fall which will make for over 100 immigration judges hired during 2018.
“EOIR now has 395 immigration judges, an increase of 30 percent since January 2017,” said McHenry. “While we are pleased to welcome this historic class of judges, we are not done and expect additional hiring before the end of this year.”
Assistant Chief Immigration Judges
John R. Doolittle, II, Assistant Chief Immigration Judge, Houston Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed John R. Doolittle, II, to begin supervisory immigration court duties and hearing cases in October 2018. He will oversee the Houston Immigration Court. Judge Doolittle earned a Bachelor of Science in 1989 from the University of Tampa, a Juris Doctor in 1994 from the Washburn University School of Law, and a Master of Science in 2014 from the U.S. Army War College. He recently retired as a colonel and judge advocate from the U.S. Army. From 2004 to 2017, he was judge advocate for the U.S. Army in these locations: Fort Knox, Kentucky; Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida; Parwan, Afghanistan; Fort Gillem Georgia; and Fort McPherson, Georgia. From 2000 to 2004, he was a trial attorney/assistant chief counsel with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Atlanta. From 1998 to 2000, he was trial attorney/assistant district counsel with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Department of Justice, in Harlingen, Texas. From 1994 to 1998, he was an active duty judge advocate with the U.S. Army at Fort Benning and Fort McPherson, Georgia. Judge Doolittle is a member of the State Bar of Georgia.
Sirce E. Owen, Assistant Chief Immigration Judge, Atlanta Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Sirce E. Owen to begin supervisory immigration court duties and hearing cases in October 2018. She will oversee the following immigration courts: Atlanta, Charlotte, and Stewart. Judge Owen earned a Bachelor of Science in 1996 from Johns Hopkins University, a Masters of Business Administration in 2002 from Georgia State University, and a Juris Doctor in 2005 from Georgia State University. From 2016 to 2018, she was a deputy chief counsel in the Office of Chief Counsel, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in Atlanta. From 2008 to 2016, she was an assistant chief counsel with ICE, DHS, in Atlanta. From 2005 to 2008, she was an associate attorney with Mozley, Finlayson & Loggins LLP, in Atlanta. Judge Owen is a member of the State Bar of Georgia.
Immigration Judges
Janette L. Allen, Immigration Judge, Los Angeles Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Janette L. Allen to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Allen earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2004 from Trinity University and a Juris Doctor in 2008 from American University. From 2016 to 2018, she served as senior litigation counsel for Office of Immigration Litigation, Civil Division, Department of Justice (DOJ). From 2008 to 2016, she was a trial attorney with the same office. In 2007, she was a law clerk with the same office. Judge Allen is a member of the Maryland State Bar.
Eric C. Bales, Immigration Judge, Fort Worth Immigration Adjudications Center Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Eric C. Bales to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Bales earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1998 from Texas A&M University and a Juris Doctor in 2008 from the Ave Maria School of Law. From 2016 to 2018, he was assistant chief counsel, Office of the Chief Counsel, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in Dallas. From 2010 to 2016, he was assistant chief counsel, Office of the Chief Counsel, ICE, DHS, in San Antonio, Texas. From 2008 to 2010, he was a general attorney with the Office of Associate Chief Counsel, Customs and Border Protection, DHS, in Miami. Additionally, he has been a judge advocate with the Texas Army National Guard since 2014. Judge Bales is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
Audra R. Behné, Immigration Judge, Falls Church Immigration Adjudications Center Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Audra R. Behné to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Behné earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1992 from California State University, Northridge, and a Juris Doctor in 1995 from the Southwestern University School of Law. From 2014 to 2018, she was senior pro bono coordinating attorney for Kids In Need of Defense in Los Angeles. From 2004 to 2018, she was an attorney in her own private practice. From 2001 to 2004, she was associate attorney for Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, in Los Angeles. From 1996 to 2001, she was senior attorney with Korenberg, Abramowitz & Feldun in Encino, Calif. Judge Behné is a member of the California State Bar.
M. Audrey Carr, Immigration Judge, Bloomington Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed M. Audrey Carr to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Carr earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1986 from Earlham College, a Master’s of Business Administration in 1994 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a Juris Doctor in 1997 from St. Mary’s University School of Law. From 2009 to 2018, she was director of immigration and special programs with Legal Services NYC in New York. From 2007 to 2009, she was an attorney with the Westchester Hispanic Coalition in Mount Vernon, New York. From 2006 to 2007, she was an attorney in her own private practice in Carmel, New York. From 2000 to 2006, she was an attorney with the Michael H. Davis Law Office, P.A. in Minneapolis. From 1998 to 2000, she was a staff attorney with the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights in Minneapolis. Judge Carr is a member of the New York State Bar.
Julian Castaneda, Immigration Judge, Eloy Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Julian Castaneda to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Castaneda earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1997 from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a Juris Doctor in 2005 from the University of South Dakota School of Law. From 2016 to 2018, he was an assistant U.S. attorney with the Department of Justice in Laredo, Texas. From 2014 to 2016, he was an assistant district attorney with the Starr County district attorney’s office in Rio Grande City, Texas. From 2013 to 2014, he was an assistant county attorney with the Starr County Attorney’s Office in Rio Grande City, Texas. From 2011 to 2012, he was an assistant district attorney with the Starr County district attorney’s office in Rio Grande City, Texas. From 2008 to 2011, he was an assistant criminal district attorney in the Hildago County Office of the District Attorney in Edinburg, Texas. Judge Castaneda is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
Hye Y. Chon, Immigration Judge, Los Angeles Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Hye Y. Chon to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Chon earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1995 from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Juris Doctor in 1999 from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. From 2006 to 2018, she was an assistant chief counsel with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security in Los Angles. From 2011 to 2012, she was a special assistant U.S. attorney with the Department of Justice in Los Angeles. From 2002 to 2006, she was an attorney with the California Supreme Court in San Francisco. From 1999 to 2002, she was a deputy attorney general with the California Office of the Attorney General in Los Angeles. Judge Chon is a member of the State Bar of California.
Grady A. Crooks, Immigration Judge, LaSalle Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Grady A. Crooks to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Crooks earned a Bachelor of Science in 1996 from North Dakota State University, a Master of Arts in 1999 from The George Washington University, and a Juris Doctor in 2004 from the Rutgers University School of Law. In 2017, he was an assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, Department of Justice, in Shreveport. From 2005 to 2016, he was an attorney for the U.S. Air Force in these locations: Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana; Guantánamo Bay, Cuba; Hurlburt Field, Florida; International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan; Baghdad, Iraq; Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida; and Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. Judge Crooks is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.
Samuel M. Factor, Immigration Judge, New York City Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Samuel M. Factor to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Factor earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1995 and a Bachelor of Science in 2002, both from the City University of New York, College of Staten Island, and a Juris Doctor in 1998 from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. From 2010 to 2018, he was an administrative law judge with the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, State of New York, in Brooklyn. From 2007 to 2010, he was an agency attorney with the Department of Homeless Services, City of New York. Judge Factor is a member of the New York Bar and District of Columbia Bar.
Emily N. Farrar-Crockett, Immigration Judge, Falls Church Immigration Adjudications Center Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Emily N. Farrar-Crockett to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Farrar-Crockett earned a Bachelor of Science in 1997 from Murray State University and a Juris Doctor in 2001 from Tulane Law School. From 2015 to 2018, she was an immigration attorney in her own private practice in Louisville, Kentucky. From 2013 to 2015, she was an associate immigration attorney with McClain DeWees, PLLC, in Louisville. From 2001 to 2013, she was an attorney who served multiple divisions with the Louisville Metro Public Defender Office. In the same office, concurrently from 2006 to 2013, she was the deputy division chief of the Juvenile Trial Division. Judge Farrar-Crockett is a member of the Kentucky Bar.
Lorely Ramirez Fernandez, Immigration Judge, Otero Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Lorely Ramirez Fernandez to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Fernandez earned a Bachelor in Business Administration in 2001 from Our Lady of the Lake University and a Juris Doctor in 2004 from the University of Houston Law Center. From 2007 to 2016, she was an assistant chief counsel, and from 2016 to 2018 a senior attorney, with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, Immigration Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in El Paso, Texas. In 2007, she was a staff attorney with Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center in El Paso. From 2005 to 2007, she was an associate with Spector & Spector in El Paso. Judge Fernandez is a member of the Texas State Bar.
Laura C. Figueroa, Immigration Judge, San Francisco Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Laura C. Figueroa to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Figueroa earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2003 from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. From 2017 to 2018, she was an immigration attorney in her own private practice. From 2013 to 2016, she was an attorney and partner with Figueroa & Jiménez, PLLC. From 2010 to 2013, she was an immigration attorney in her own private practice. From 2008 to 2010, she was an associate attorney with the Law Offices of Gerald M. Gonzales, PLLC. All positions were in San Antonio, Texas. Judge Figueroa is a member of the Texas State Bar.
Charles Neil Floyd, Immigration Judge, Tacoma Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Charles Neil Floyd to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Floyd earned a Bachelor of Science in 1991 from Harding University and a Juris Doctor in 1997 from the University of Arkansas School of Law. From 2009 to 2018, he was an assistant chief counsel with Immigration Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Tacoma, Washington. From 2004 to 2009, he was an assistant U.S. attorney with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C. From 1998 to 2004, he was a judge advocate with the U.S. Army in Fort Benning, Georgia and Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Washington. In 2016, he also deployed to Bagdad, Iraq. Judge Floyd is a member of the Arkansas Bar and the Washington State Bar.
Leon J. Francis, Immigration Judge, Los Angeles Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Leon J. Francis to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Francis earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1993 from Boise State University, a Juris Doctor in 1996 from Gonzaga University School of Law, and a Master of Laws in 2009 from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. From 1996 to 2018, he was a judge advocate with the U.S. Marine Corps in these locations: Kaneohe, Hawaii; Camp Pendleton, California; Washington, D.C.; Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan; and Yuma, Arizona. He served as a military judge for the last six years of his military career. Judge Francis is a member of the Idaho State Bar.
Steven B. Fuller, Immigration Judge, LaSalle Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Steven B. Fuller to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Fuller earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1997 from Auburn University and a Juris Doctor in 2000 from Regent University School of Law. From 2016 to 2018, he was an assistant chief counsel with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Lumpkin, Georgia. From 2014 to 2016, he was an associate attorney with Pearson Law in Belton, Texas. From 2009 to 2014, he was an assistant center counsel with the U.S. Army at Fort Hood, Texas. From 2008 to 2009, he was an assistant chief counsel with ICE, DHS, in Lumpkin, Georgia. From 2001 to 2008, he was an attorney with the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps in these locations: Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Benning, Georgia; and Tikrit, Iraq. Judge Fuller is a member of the Texas State Bar and the Kentucky Bar.
Marni Guerrero, Immigration Judge, Los Angeles Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Marni Guerrero to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Guerrero earned a Bachelor of Science in 1999 from Arizona State University, a Juris Doctor in 2003 from the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, and a Master of International Affairs in 2010 from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. From 2017 to 2018, she was an assistant chief counsel with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security. From 2013 to 2017, she was in her own private practice. From 2010 to 2013, she was an assistant U.S. attorney with the District of Arizona. From 2003 to 2008, she was an attorney with Roush, McCracken, Guerrero, Miller & Ortega in Arizona. Judge Guerrero is a member of the State Bar of Arizona.
Monica Thompson Guidry, Immigration Judge, Fort Worth Immigration Adjudications Center Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Monica Thompson Guidry to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Guidry earned a Bachelor of Science in 1984 and a Masters of Arts degree in 1987 from Sam Houston State University. She earned a Juris Doctor in 1997 from South Texas College of Law. From 2009 to 2018, she was a deputy chief counsel with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in Houston. From 2002 to 2009, she was an assistant district counsel and an assistant chief counsel with ICE, DHS, first in Los Angeles and later in Houston. From 2000 to 2002, she was an attorney and regulatory specialist with the Alfred Mann Institute at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. From 1998 to 2000, she was an attorney with the U.S. Department of Labor in Kansas City, Missouri. Judge Guidry is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
Brandon L. Hart, Immigration Judge, Fort Worth Immigration Adjudications Center Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Brandon L. Hart to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Hart earned a Bachelor of Science in 1993 from Brigham Young University, a Juris Doctor in 1996 from the University of Utah, and a Master of Laws in 2007 from McGill University. From 1996 to 2018, he was a colonel and judge advocate with the U.S. Air Force in these locations: Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi; Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan; Grand Forks Air Base, North Dakota; Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska; Balad Air Base, Iraq; Yokota Air Base, Japan; Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; Incirlik Air Base, Turkey; and Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. Judge Hart is a member of the State Bars of Utah and Nevada.
Alice Song Hartye, Immigration Judge, York Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Alice Song Hartye to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Hartye earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2000 from Dickinson College and a Juris Doctor in 2005 from the Pennsylvania State University. From 2006 to 2018, she was an assistant chief counsel with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security in York, Pennsylvania and Phoenix. From 2014 to 2015 and 2012 to 2013, she was a special assistant U.S. attorney with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Department of Justice, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. From 2005 to 2006, she was a judicial law clerk, entering on duty through the Attorney General’s Honors Program, with immigration courts in Dallas and El Paso, Texas. Judge Hartye is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar.
Richard C. Jacobs, Immigration Judge, Fort Worth Immigration Adjudications Center Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Richard C. Jacobs to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Jacobs earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1992 from Sonoma State University, a Master of Arts degree in 1994 from San Francisco State University, and a Juris Doctor in 2000 from the University of Miami School of Law. From 2008 to 2018, he was assistant chief counsel and then deputy chief counsel with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Miami and Orlando. From 2010 to 2012, this service included being a special assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Florida. From 2000 to 2008, he was an assistant state attorney with the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, State Attorney’s Office, in Miami. Judge Jacobs is a member of The Florida Bar.
Jaime Jasso, Immigration Judge, Imperial Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Jaime Jasso to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Jasso earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1995 from Stanford University and a Juris Doctor in 1998 from Whittier Law School. From 2001 to 2018, he was an attorney in his own private practice. From 1999 to 2000, he was an associate attorney and then a managing attorney for the Pasadena Legal Center in Pasadena, California. Judge Jasso is a member of the State Bar of California.
Carlos R. Juelle, Immigration Judge, Los Angeles Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Carlos R. Juelle to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Juelle earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1989 from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Juris Doctor in 1996 from Pepperdine University School of Law. From 2002 to 2018, he was a managing partner with Herrera & Juelle, LLP, in Downey, California. From 1997 to 2000, he was an attorney with Stein Shostak Shostak & O’Hara in Los Angeles. Judge Juelle is a member of the State Bar of California.
Brent H. Landis, Immigration Judge, LaSalle Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Brent H. Landis to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Landis earned a Bachelor of Science in 1982 from Metropolitan State University and a Juris Doctor in 1985 from DePaul University. From 2000 to 2018, he was a senior attorney with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Phoenix. From 1989 to 2011, he was an attorney with the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, U.S. Air Force in these locations: Luke Air Force Base, Arizona; Air Reserve Personnel Center, Colorado; Washington, D.C.; Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico; and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. From 1986 to 1987, he was a staff attorney with Levine, Shifrin & Associates in Schaumburg, Illinois. Judge Landis is a member of the Illinois and Colorado State Bars.
Joseph T. Leonard, Immigration Judge, Fort Worth Immigration Adjudications Center Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Joseph T. Leonard to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Leonard earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1999 from Texas A&M University and a Juris Doctor in 2002 from the University of Texas School of Law. From 2008 to 2018, he was an assistant U.S. attorney with the Southern District of Texas, first in Brownsville and later in McAllen. From 2005 to 2008, he was an assistant district attorney in Hidalgo County, Texas. In 2005, he was an attorney in his own private practice. From 2003 to 2005, he was an assistant county attorney in Williamson County, Texas. From 2002 to 2003, he was an associate with Fitzbaugh & Elliott, P.C., in Houston. Judge Leonard is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
Hugo R. Martinez, Immigration Judge, Fort Worth Immigration Adjudications Center Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Hugo R. Martinez to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Martinez earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2001 from Texas Wesleyan University and a Juris Doctor in 2004 from Texas A&M University School of Law. From 2010 to 2018, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas. From 2005 to 2010 he was assistant district attorney for the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office in Fort Worth, Texas. Previously, he was a law clerk at Reina, Bates & Kowaski Immigration Law Group in Dallas. Judge Martinez is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
Nicholas A. Martz, Immigration Judge, Los Angeles Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Nicholas A. Martz to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Martz earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1998 from Boston College, a Juris Doctor in 2007 from Florida State University, and a Master of Laws degree in 2012 from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. He served in the Marine Corps as a Judge Advocate from 2007 to 2018 and as a Marine officer from 1998 to 2018. Judge Martz is a member of the Florida Bar and the Washington State Bar.
Todd A. Masters, Immigration Judge, Boston Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Todd A. Masters to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Masters earned a Bachelor of Science in 1992 from the U.S. Naval Academy, a Master of Arts degree in 1993 from the University of Maryland at College Park, and a Juris Doctor in 2005 from Boston College Law School. From 2008 to 2018, he served as an assistant chief counsel and deputy chief counsel for the Office of Chief Counsel, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Boston. From 2005 to 2008, he served as assistant district attorney for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, also in Boston. From 1992 to 2002, he served in the U.S. Navy. Judge Masters is a member of the Massachusetts Bar.
Jennifer A. May, Immigration Judge, Fort Worth Immigration Adjudications Center Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Jennifer A. May to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge May earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1992 from William Jewell College and a Juris Doctor in 1996 from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. From 2006 to 2018, she served as assistant chief counsel for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security in Kansas City, Missouri. From 1999 to 2006, she was assistant prosecuting attorney for the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office, Family Support Division, in Liberty, Missouri. From 1996 to 1999, she was assistant prosecuting attorney for the Lafayette County Prosecutor’s Office in Lexington, Missouri. Judge May is a member of the Kansas Bar and Missouri Bar.
Paul A. McCloskey, Immigration Judge, Arlington Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Paul A. McCloskey to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge McCloskey earned a Bachelor of Science in 1996 from Towson State University and a Juris Doctor in 1999 from the University of Maryland School of Law. From 2002 to 2018, he served in several positions with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in Washington, D.C. From 2016 to 2018, he was an associate deputy principal legal advisor for Field Legal Operations. From 2014 to 2016, he was deputy chief of the Criminal Law Section. From 2010 to 2014 he was an associate legal advisor in the Criminal Law Section. From 2008 to 2010, he was an associate legal advisor in the Enforcement Law Division, serving on a detail at the Department of Justice as a trial attorney in the Criminal Division, Domestic Security Section. From 2002 to 2008, he was assistant chief counsel in Baltimore and New Orleans. From 2001 to 2002, he was a senior immigration officer in the Office of Congressional Relations with the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in Washington, D.C. From 1999 to 2001, he was a presidential management intern with INS in Washington, D.C. Judge McCloskey is a member of the Maryland State Bar.
Francisco Mendez, Immigration Judge, Arlington Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Francisco Mendez to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Mendez earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1992 from Fordham University and a Juris Doctor in 1995 from Fordham Law School. From 2011 to 2018, he was an administrative judge for the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals, Department of Defense (DOD), in Arlington, Virginia. From 2003 to 2011, he was a trial attorney for DOD, also in Arlington. From 1996 to 2016, he served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Air Force, six years on active duty and 14 years in the reserves. Judge Mendez is a member of the New York State Bar.
Abby L. Meyer, Immigration Judge, Omaha Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Abby L. Meyer to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Meyer earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2004 from Simpson College and a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the University of Nebraska College of Law. From 2010 to 2018, she served as assistant chief counsel for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security in Atlanta and in Omaha, Nebraska. From 2007 to 2010, she was an immigration services officer for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Fairfax, Virginia. Judge Meyer is a member of the Virginia State Bar.
Jeffrey S. Miller, Immigration Judge, Los Angeles Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Jeffrey S. Miller to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Miller earned a Bachelor of Science in 1996 from Berry College and a Juris Doctor in 2006 from Florida Coastal School of Law. From 2010 to 2018, he served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas in Corpus Christi. From 2008 to 2010, as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Judge Advocate General Corps, he served as a special assistant U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Florida in Tampa. From 2006 to 2008, he served as an assistant state attorney in Jacksonville, Florida. From 2005 to present, he continues to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves Legal Services Command in Alameda, California. Judge Miller is a member of the Florida State Bar.
Dion A. Morwood, Immigration Judge, San Francisco Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Dion A. Morwood to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Morwood earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2000 from Utah State University and a Juris Doctor in 2008 from Brigham Young University. From 2014 to 2018, he served as deputy chief counsel with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Adelanto, California. From 2009 to 2014, he served as an assistant chief counsel with OPLA, ICE, DHS, in Adelanto, California and Florence, Arizona. From 2008 to 2009, he served as a judicial law clerk and attorney advisor with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, Department of Justice, entering on duty through the Attorney General’s Honors Program. From 1997 to 2004, he served in the Utah Army National Guard. Judge Morwood is a member of the Utah State Bar.
Jeffery R. Nance, Immigration Judge, Stewart Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Jeffery R. Nance to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Nance earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1985 from Brigham Young University, a Juris Doctor from the J. Reuben Clarke School of Law, also at Brigham Young University, in 1988, and a Master of Laws degree in 1997 from the Judge Advocate General's School. From 1998 to 2018, he was an attorney, circuit judge, and chief circuit judge with the U.S. Army in these locations: Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Vilseck, Germany; Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Gordon, Georgia; Heidelberg, Germany; Baghdad, Iraq; Vicenza, Italy, Bad Kreuznach, Germany; Okinawa, Japan; and Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Judge Nance is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and Utah State Bar.
Brian T. Palmer, Immigration Judge, New York Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Brian T. Palmer to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Palmer earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1982 from the Brockport State University of New York, a Juris Doctor in 1986 from the Western New England College School of Law, and a Masters of Law in 1992 from The Judge Advocate General’s School of the Army. From 1987 to 2018, he served as an attorney, judge, and commanding officer with the U.S. Marine Corps in these locations: Washington, D.C.; Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Parris Island, South Carolina; Norfolk, Virginia; Okinawa, Japan; Stuttgart, Germany; Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; and Cherry Point, North Carolina. Additionally, he served in combat zone deployments to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. From 1986 to 1987, he was a private practice associate attorney in East Hartford, Connecticut. Judge Palmer is a member of the Connecticut Bar, Hawaii Bar, and the District of Columbia Bar.
Sebastian T. Patti, Immigration Judge, Los Angeles Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Sebastian T. Patti to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Patti earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1975 from Duke University and a Juris Doctor in 1978 from the University of Kansas School of Law. From 1995 to 2018, he rose from judge to presiding judge at the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. From 1979 to 1995, he was a regional counsel for the U.S. Environment Protection Agency in Chicago. Judge Patti is a member of the Kansas Bar and the Illinois State Bar.
Anne Kristina Perry, Immigration Judge, Los Angeles Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Anne Kristina Perry to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Perry earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1978 from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Juris Doctor in 1981 from the Loyola Law School. From 1991 to 2018, she was an assistant U.S. attorney with the Southern District of California. From 2007 to 2018, she also served as a volunteer judge pro tempore for the San Diego Superior Court. From 1987 to 1991, she was an assistant U.S. attorney with the District of Nevada. From 1983 to 1987, she was a deputy attorney general with the State of Nevada. From 1982 to 1983, she was a deputy district attorney in Clark County, Nevada. Judge Perry is a member of the Nevada State Bar and the California State Bar.
Arya S. Ranasinghe, Immigration Judge, Newark Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Arya S. Ranasinghe to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Ranasinghe earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a Juris Doctor in 2006 from the Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center. From 2008 to 2018, she served as an assistant chief counsel for the Office of Chief Counsel, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Newark, New Jersey. From 2007 to 2008, she was an associate attorney at Christophe & Associates, P.C. in New York City. Judge Ranasinghe is a member of the New Jersey State Bar and the New York State Bar.
Anita L. Simons, Immigration Judge, Los Angeles Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Anita L. Simons to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Simons earned dual Bachelor of Arts in 1999 from the University of Arizona and a Juris Doctor in 2005 from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. From 2013 to 2018, she served as an administrative law judge with the Arizona Department of Transportation, Executive Hearing Office. From 2007 to 2013, she was a deputy county attorney with the Pima County Attorney’s Office, Criminal Division. Judge Simons is a member of the State Bar of Arizona.
Vance H. Spath, Immigration Judge, Arlington Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Vance H. Spath to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Spath earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1987 from Virginia Wesleyan University, a Juris Doctor in 1991 from Quinnipiac University, and a Master of Laws in 2001 from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. From 1993 to 2018, he was an attorney and judge with the U.S. Air Force in these locations: Joint Base Andrews, Maryland; Kadena Air Base, Japan; Travis Air Force Base, California; F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming; Bolling Air Force Base, Maryland; Shriever Air Force Base, Colorado; Randolph Air Force Base, Colorado; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Randolph Air Force Base, Texas; and Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany. Judge Spath is a member of the State Bar of New York.
Oshea Denise Spencer, Immigration Judge, New York City Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Oshea Denise Spencer to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Spencer earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1994 from the University of Texas and a Juris Doctor in 1997 from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. In 2018, she was an attorney for the Public Utility Commission of Texas in Austin. From 2005 to 2018, she was an associate municipal court judge in Baytown, Texas. From 2003 to 2013, she was an assistant district attorney in Richmond, Texas. From 2000 to 2002, she was director of scholarship management for NACME, Inc. in New York. From 1997 to 2000, she was an assistant district attorney in Bronx, New York. Judge Spencer is a member of the State Bar of New York and the State Bar of Texas.
Shadee M. Star, Immigration Judge, San Francisco Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Shadee M. Star to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Star earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1996 from California State University, Fullerton, and a Juris Doctor in 1999 from Stetson University College of Law. From 2010 to 2018, she was a senior attorney for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Los Angeles. From 2003 to 2010, she was an assistant chief counsel for ICE, DHS, also in Los Angeles. From 2000 to 2003, she was an attorney with the Law Office of Machiavelli W. Chao in Irvine, California. Judge Star is a member of the State Bar of California.
Brock E. Taylor, Immigration Judge, Otero Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Brock E. Taylor to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Taylor earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2001 from Brigham Young University, a Master of Public Policy degree in 2005 from Duke University, and a Juris Doctor in 2005 from Harvard Law School. From 2012 to 2018, he was an assistant U.S. attorney for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico. From 2010 to 2012, he was an attorney advisor for the National Security Division, Department of Justice. From 2009 to 2010, he was a law clerk for the Honorable Eugene E. Siler, Jr., Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in London, Kentucky. From 2008 to 2009, he was a law clerk for the Honorable Robert C. Brack, District Judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. From 2005 to 2008, he was an analyst with the Central Intelligence Agency. Judge Taylor is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.
Cassie A. Thogersen, Immigration Judge, LaSalle Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Cassie A. Thogersen to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Thogersen earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1993 from Southeastern Louisiana University, a Master of Social Work in 1996 from Washington University, and a Juris Doctor in 1999 from the University of Wisconsin Law School. From 2014 to 2018, she served as deputy chief counsel, and from 2008 to 2014 as assistant chief counsel, in the Office of Chief Counsel, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security in Oakdale, Louisiana. From 2001 to 2008, she served as a senior attorney advisor in the Office of General Counsel, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in Rockville, Maryland. This experience included, in 2006, a detail as a special assistant U.S. attorney to the Department of Justice where she prosecuted domestic violence cases. From 1999 to 2001, she was a policy analyst in the Division of Regulatory and Legal Affairs, Indian Health Service, HHS, in Rockville, Maryland. Judge Thogersen is a member of the Louisiana State Bar.
Cynthia Shepherd Torg, Immigration Judge, Arlington Immigration Court Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Cynthia Shepherd Torg to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Torg earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1989 from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor in 1992 from the University of Virginia School of Law. From 1998 to 2018, she was a senior trial attorney for the Organized Crime and Gang Section, Criminal Division, Department of Justice, in Washington, D.C. From 2004 to 2008, she was chief counsel, Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center in Washington, D.C. From 1993 to 1998, she was an assistant commonwealth's attorney in Virginia Beach, Virginia. From 1992 to 1993, she clerked for the Honorable tommy E. Miller, U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia in Norfolk. Judge Torg is a member of the Virginia State Bar.
