The Los Angeles Times reported today that a three judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit granted Ms. Lesly Perdomo’s petition for review and ordered that her case be remanded to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) to consider whether Guatemalan women constitute a “particular social group” and as such, be eligible for political asylum.  The court also ordered [...]

The New York Times reported today that the American Bar Association (ABA)called on Congress to overhaul the current Immigration Court system and create a new, independent court in light of pleas from immigration judges and lawyers who say the Immigration Courts across the country are overwhelmed under an increasing caseload. According to the article, Congress has debated overhauling the immigration laws to legalize status to millions of illegal immigrants for the [...]

The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) ruled recently and as a result clarified in the case of Matter of Martinez-Serrano, 25 I&N Dec. 151 (BIA 2009) that a conviction for Alien Smuggling is not necessary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to charge a foreign national with a ground of deportability under section 237(a)(1)(E)(i) – (Alien [...]

Judge Rafael B. Ortiz-Segura FY 2002 – 2007, Orlando Immigration Court Judge Ortiz-Segura was appointed as an Immigration Judge in January 1994. Prior to his appointment in Orlando in May 1997, he was an Immigration Judge in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Judge Ortiz-Segura received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976, and a Juris Doctorate [...]

Judge Victoria L. Ghartey FY 2002 – 2007, Orlando Immigration Court Judge Ghartey was appointed as an Immigration Judge in September 1995. Prior to her assignment to the Orlando Immigration Court in June 2003, Judge Ghartey served as an Immigration Judge in the New York Immigration Court. She received a Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University [...]

Judge Chapman was appointed as an immigration judge in March 2008. He received a bachelor of science degree in 1979 from Arkansas Tech University and a juris doctorate in 1986 from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. From 2003 to March 2008, Judge Chapman served as deputy general counsel, Office of the General Counsel, [...]

Judge Earle B. Wilson FY 2002 – 2007, Orlando Immigration Court Judge Wilson was appointed as an Immigration Judge in October 2005. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1979 from Atlantic Union College, and a Juris Doctorate in 1989 from Howard University School of Law. Judge Wilson served as a senior litigation counsel [...]