EOIR Press Release:

The Executive Office for Immigration Review
Swears in 23 New Immigration Judges
Judge Corps Reaches 262 Serving in 59 Immigration Courts

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary Grindler invested 23
new immigration judges during a ceremony held at the Executive Office for Immigration
Review’s (EOIR) headquarters on Nov. 5, 2010.

Attorney General Eric Holder appointed Silvia R. Arellano, Jerry A. Beatmann Sr.,
Jesse B. Christensen, Steven J. Connelly, Philip J. Costa, V. Stuart Couch, Thomas G. Crossan Jr.,
Leo A. Finston, Saul Greenstein, Amy C. Hoogasian, Stuart F. Karden, F. James Loprest Jr.,
Lisa Luis, Joren Lyons, H. Kevin Mart, Sheila McNulty, Maureen S. O’Sullivan, Daniel J.
Santander, Alice Segal, Andrea H. Sloan, Dan Trimble, Eileen R. Trujillo, Clarence M. Wagner
Jr., and Virna A. Wright to these important public service positions. Andrea H. Sloan entered on
duty on Oct. 24, 2010, but was unable to attend Friday’s ceremony.

“We have made great progress since we began our robust immigration judge hiring
initiative earlier this year,” said Chief Immigration Judge Brian M. O’Leary. “These new
immigration judges bring the judge corps of our 59 immigration courts to 262, and we expect to
further enhance the corps by additional immigration judges before the end of the calendar year.”

The hiring process for most of these new immigration judges began in December 2009. After initial screening, EOIR’s human resources section referred 1,782 applications to the Office
of the Chief Immigration Judge. Four panels of assistant chief immigration judges screened the
applications for the following criteria: ability to demonstrate the appropriate temperament to
serve as a judge; knowledge of immigration laws and procedures; substantial litigation
experience, preferably in a high-volume context; experience handling complex legal issues;
experience conducting administrative hearings; and knowledge of judicial practices and
procedures. The most highly recommended candidates were selected for interviews. Top candidates were then referred for a second review and interview by a panel of senior Department
of Justice officials. The Attorney General made the final selections.

The new immigration judges will preside in the immigration courts in Florence, Ariz.;
Los Angeles and San Francisco, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Miami and Orlando, Fla.; Lumpkin, Ga.;
Honolulu, Hawaii; Chicago, Ill.; Oakdale, La.; Charlotte, N.C.; Newark, N.J.; Batavia and New
York, N.Y.; Portland, Ore.; and Houston and Pearsall, Texas.

To view their biographies, please click here.

–– EOIR ––

Michele Waslin, Ph.D., of the Immigration Policy Center has released a report entitled ICE's Enforcement Priorities and the Factors That Undermine Them.  The report reviews ICE's enforcement priorities and their implementation.

"As part of its strategy to gain support for comprehensive immigration reform, the administration has continually touted its enforcement accomplishments. In fact, over the last two years, the Obama administration has committed itself to a full-court press to demonstrate how committed the administration is to removing criminals and others who remain in the country without proper documentation.They have continued to use the enforcement programs of the previous administration, including partnering with state and local law enforcement agencies to identify, detain, and deport immigrants. However, in doing so, they have lost the ability to fully control their own enforcement priorities and enforcement outcomes, and the results have demonstrated that the state and local partners are not necessarily committed to the same priorities." -Michele Waslin, Ph.D.

Click here to read the report.

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