From the National Law Journal (subscription required):
A group of immigration judges called for the U.S. attorney general to
appoint one of their own as the next chief immigration judge, to reform
what has been a problem-plagued and overburdened agency for years.
"We have been totally resource-starved and things have been very slow in coming," said Judge Dana Leigh Marks of San Francisco, who is president of the National Association of Immigration Judges.
She pointed out that last year 214 immigration judges completed 350,000 cases, in "traffic court" conditions, despite issuing decisions with consequences that may be tantamount to life or death rulings.
"This is not the time to appoint a chief immigration judge based on political or bureaucratic connections," Marks said on Tuesday.
"We have been totally resource-starved and things have been very slow in coming," said Judge Dana Leigh Marks of San Francisco, who is president of the National Association of Immigration Judges.
She pointed out that last year 214 immigration judges completed 350,000 cases, in "traffic court" conditions, despite issuing decisions with consequences that may be tantamount to life or death rulings.
"This is not the time to appoint a chief immigration judge based on political or bureaucratic connections," Marks said on Tuesday.
Of course, this raises a chicken and egg problem. Are the immigration judges themselves the problem or are the conditions they're in the problem. If the former, appointing one of their own may not be as appealing as having an outside reformer.
An immigration judge is not the same as a federal judge in terms of having a lifetime appointment. They are direct employees of the executive branch and can be terminated like any other federal employee.
Posted by: Greg Siskind | February 28, 2009 at 02:44 PM
Greg,
Are immigration judges appointed for life like any other judges?
Posted by: d | February 28, 2009 at 11:53 AM
How about a chief immigration judge who has actually represented PEOPLE in court? Someone with private practice experience? Some courts actually consider that to be a requirement to be a judge, but in Immigration Court you can be a judge even though you have never actually been in a courtroom in your entire career as a lawyer!
Posted by: Rob | February 27, 2009 at 05:30 AM
These judges are as partisan as the people that appointed them....
Posted by: Another voice | February 26, 2009 at 09:01 AM
NO Bush appointed immi judges period..
Posted by: D | February 25, 2009 at 06:25 PM
Not related to the article above, but why do you think Napolitano wasn't aware of this raid?
http://www.ktar.com/?nid=45&sid=1092084
Posted by: Marinela | February 25, 2009 at 04:02 PM