10 New Immigration Judges Appointed: Does this Signal Intensified Enforcement?
The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced today that ten immigration judges were sworn in on April 24, 2009 at the EOIR Headquarters in Falls Church, Va.
The judges were appointed by the Attorney General and they now join the ranks of over 220 immigration judges located throughout the 50 immigration courts nationwide.
What Immigration Judges Do
Immigration Judges conduct formal trials of individuals the United States’ wishes to deport.
They determine whether foreign nationals who are charged by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with violating the immigration laws, should be ordered removed (deported) from the United States or be granted relief from removal and be allowed to remain in the United States.
Immigration Judges decide cases based on U.S. immigration law and on a case-by-case basis. Their decisions are final and may be appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).
Immigration Court Backlogs
In the past decade, Immigration Courts have been overwhelmed with a backlog of cases.
In Orlando, for instance, asylum and deportation trials are often scheduled up to a year and half after first appearance.
The appointment of new judges is long overdue and we caution our readers not to read too much into it.
A New Orlando Judge
James K. Grim, former Assistant Chief Counsel (ACC) for the USICE in Bradenton, has been assigned to the Orlando Immigration Court.
Mr. Grim had served as opposition counsel on a number of our clients’ cases.
Related Links:
The Judges – Short biographies and case statistics of the United States’ Immigration Court Judges presiding in Orlando, Florida
