Immigration Judges Call for Independent Court (Big Barf Alert)

latimes ^ | 1/31/2002 | LISA GETTER

[TLBSHOW]

In a rebuke to Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft, the nation's immigration judges are asking Congress to remove their courts from control of the Justice Department.

The judges are particularly concerned about complaints that America's "core legal values" have been compromised since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to a 20-page report sent to Congress by the union representing the judges.

[boomop1]

Should have said Clinton Judges.

[Publius6961]

president of the National Assn. of Immigration Judges, the AFL-CIO-affiliated union that represents the 220 judges.

Interesting factoid.
As far as I'm concerned, being an impartial judge and a member of any AFL-CIO related activity are mutually exclusive.
The present brouhaha is the perfect example of why. Being union members bolsters the fantasy that the judiciary is the government, rather than the elected members of government.

[DoughtyOne]

I also see a problem with these judges being union members.

[ZULU]

Let them call. With any luck no one will listen and they'll blow away like the big windbags they are. What a bunch of self-righteous, sanctimonious turkeys.

There is still a gun pointed at the head of America by international terrorists. These people, many of whom are illegal invaders, not "immigrants", may be among them.

[DrgnHart]

Wonder if they also hear illegal alien cases? Either way, we're screwed.

[4Freedom]

These liberal judges are taking our whole system of justice and standing it on it's head.

[rebdov]

Fire them.

[Bikers4Bush]

Fire them all and hire some judges that will actually do some work to keep the riff raff out.

[Brownie74]

And keeps getting worse every day.

[dennisw]

Now which way do you think these three female liberal hack immigration judges are going to vote ...HUH?

 

May 9, 1997

THREE IMMIGRATION JUDGES TAKE OATH OF OFFICE
IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Judge H. Jere Armstrong will give the oath of office today to three new Immigration Judges in an investiture ceremony at 2 p.m. in the Ceremonial Courtroom, United States Immigration Court, 550 Kearny Street, Suite 700, San Francisco, CA. Miriam R. Hayward, Laura L. Ramirez, and Marilyn J. Teeter join the ranks of over 200 Immigration Court Judges located in more than 40 Immigration Courts throughout the nation.

Immigration Judges are responsible for conducting formal administrative proceedings, and act independently in their decision-making capacity. Immigration Judges preside over more than 200,000 formal, judicial removal proceedings each year. These decisions are administratively final unless appealed or certified to the Board of Immigration Appeals. In addition to determining whether individuals are admissible or removable, Immigration Judges have jurisdiction to consider applications for various forms of relief from removal. These include applications for such relief as asylum, adjustment of status, cancellation of removal, waivers of inadmissibility, custody/bond redeterminations, and administering oaths of citizenship to naturalization applicants.

Judge Hayward was appointed Immigration Judge in March 1997. She received her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1976, and her J.D. from the University of California, Boalt Hall School of Law, in 1980. From 1981 to 1982, Judge Hayward worked as an Associate Attorney with the Law Office of Marc Van Der Hout in San Francisco. She worked as a Supervising Attorney at the International Institute of the East Bay in Oakland, California, from 1982 to 1997. Judge Hayward has also served as a Lecturer/Refugee Law Clinic Supervisor at the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1995, and as a Lecturer/Immigration Law Clinic Supervisor at the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law from 1993 to 1996. She is a member of the California Bar.

Judge Ramirez was appointed Immigration Judge in March 1997. She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University in 1982, and her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1985. In 1985, Judge Ramirez worked as a Research Assistant focusing on asylum for Professor Carolyn Blum at the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law. She also served as Asylum Program Coordinator, San Francisco Lawyers Committee, from 1985 to 1986. Judge Ramirez worked as Regional Coordinator, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., in San Francisco from 1987 to 1994. From 1994 to 1997, she was Supervising Attorney and Adjunct Professor at Santa Clara University, School of Law, in Santa Clara, California. Judge Ramirez is a member of both the California and Illinois Bars.

Judge Teeter was appointed Immigration Judge in March 1997. She received her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in 1974, and her J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law in 1977. Judge Teeter served as an Administrative Judge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in San Francisco from 1978 to 1997. From 1990 to 1991, she also served as a Traffic Commissioner and Small Claims Court Judge pro tem for San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. From 1977 to 1978, Judge Teeter worked as a trial attorney with the EEOC. She is a lifetime member of the National Association of Woman Judges and is a member of the California Bar.

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Updated June 16 ,1997
usdoj-/jmdicu/mlb

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[dennisw]

Also they never seemed to have worked in the REAL WORLD. Just worked for government (I told you they are hacks), for universities and for liberal institutions.

[Brownie74]

Some would say that they are better than nothing - but I am not so sure in this case.

[Regulator]

Not just any old liberal institutions. "Asylum" groups whose sole efforts are aimed at breaking down the immigration laws.

The EOIR is the one place where deportations go forward, and these are the people who are simply to make sure the INS complied with the law. Instead, they have impeded every effort to make deportation happen.

I have no idea what the appointment period for immigration judges is, but I doubt if it's lifetime and I think that misconduct and bad judgements would make them vulnerable to termination.

This is always the problem with Republican administrations. They come in and fail to weed these people out. Clinton made no such mistake. Even though he only had a plurality, he fired every federal DA and replaced them with his flunkies. Bush has more of a mandate. The sooner he replaces these ideologues, the better the whole country will be. At a minimum, morale in the INS will skyrocket. At least in the enforcement arms.

[ijcr]

Most people assume that ALJ's are Court Judges, they are not. There are approx. 1200 ALJ's in the Federal system, in 29 Departments. Immigration,Workers Comp,Customs,OHSHA, Social Security etc. They are employees ie, they submit a resume, sit an exam and compete in interviews.

They are hired as Federal employees GS-15 and above.They are subject to Federal Regulations in hiring and firing and like all Federal employees are protected by the Merit Systems Protection Board.

However,as employees they are entitled to join a Trades Union.There are only 220 ALJ's in the Immigration system with a vast backlog of cases.

The vast majority of ALJ's are gunshy trial lawyers.

[DoughtyOne]

Here's the problem as I see it. Certain unions are promoting the idea that illegals should be unionized, and allowed to stay in this nation. I see this as a conflict of interest.

[Regulator]

Which brings up a good question. Is publicly criticising a rule something that could bring an ALJ's objectivity into question, leading to termination or transfer?

[Love America or move to ......]

See a very intersting site put up by a former Dept. of Justice Attorney. Gives some interesting insider insights about the Immigration Court system. www.geocities.com/doj_attorney

[FITZ]

Certain unions are promoting the idea that illegals should be unionized, and allowed to stay in this nation. I see this as a conflict of interest.

Not a conflict of interest when you look at the larger goal of labor unions which is world wide socialism. Unions go hand in hand with socialism. It can be one big world May Day celebration which is what they've really wanted all along.