34 New Immigration Judges Sworn in During October and December 2020

On October 9, 2020, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced the investiture of 20 new immigration judges [link] at immigration courts across the country. On December 18, 2020, the EOIR announced the investiture of an additional 14 immigration judges. The October announcement explained that “[s]ince Jan. 20, 2017, the [Department of Justice] has increased EOIR’s immigration judge corps from 306 to 520 adjudicators — an increase of nearly 70 percent.” In this post, we will consolidate the October 9 and December 18 immigration judge investiture announcements, covering all 34 new immigration judges and listing the immigration courts on which they will serve. Each of the 34 new immigration judges was appointed by now-former U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr.

We will draw the list of judges and their basic biographical information from the EOIR’s articles for October 9 [link] and December 18 [link].

Abbreviations Used in this Article

Many of the new immigration judges worked in various capacities for the DHS and DOJ prior to their appointments to the immigration bench. Below, you will find a list of abbreviations that we will use in their biographies, where necessary.

DOJ = Department of Justice
DHS = Department of Homeland Security
ICE = Immigration and Customs Enforcement
CBP = U.S. Customs and Border Protection
USCIS = U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
OCC = Office of Chief Counsel
OPLA = Office of Principal Legal Advisor

Immigration Courts Welcoming New Judges

Below, you will find the full list of immigration courts that welcomed new immigration judges in the October 9 and December 18 announcements. We will indicate in a parenthetical the courts that received multiple new immigration judges. We will use square brackets to indicate the state each immigration court is located in.

The three immigration court locations in Manhattan — Broadway, Federal Plaza, and Varick Street, received 10 new immigration judges combined between the October and December announcements.

New Judge for Adelanto Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Ravit R. Halperin (December Investiture)

2000-2020: Private practice (2008-2020 as the founder of an immigration law firm)
1992: Earned J.D. from the City University of New York Law School

New Judge for the Atlanta — W. Peachtree Street Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Blake L. Doughty (October Investiture)

2019-2020: Deputy chief counsel, OCC, OPLA, ICE, DHS in Atlanta, Georgia
2015-2019: Assistant chief counsel, OCC, OPLA, ICE, DHS in Atlanta and Lumpkin, Georgia
2014-2014: Local prosecutor
2009-2014: U.S. Army judge advocate
2008: Earned J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law

New Judge for the Batavia Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Robert P. Driscoll (October Investiture)

1998-2020: Local prosecutor in Athens, Ohio
1993-1998: Private practice
1993: Earned J.D. from Capital University Law School

New Judge for the Chicago Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Brendan Curran (October Investiture)

2007-2020: Assistant chief counsel, OCC, OPLA, ICE, DHS in Chicago, Illinois
1999-2007: Local prosecutor in Cook County, Illinois
1994-1999: Served as an officer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the U.S. Navy
1994: Earned J.D. from DePaul University College of Law

New Judge for the Cleveland Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Donald Pashayan (December Investiture)

2012-2020: Assistant U.S. attorney in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force of the District of Arizona
2003-2012: Assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Ohio and in the Middle District of Florida
2002-2002: Private practice
1999-2002: Judge advocate in the U.S. Navy
1999: Earned J.D. from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
1994-1999: Police officer

New Judge for the Dallas Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Glen R. Hines

1997-Present: Judge advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps
2018-2020: Civilian legal counsel and policy advisor for the U.S. Department of Defense
2014-2018: Circuit military judge
2012-2014: Assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas
2005: Earned Master of Laws degree from the George Washington University School of Law
1994: Earned J.D. from the University of Arkansas

New Judge for the El Paso Immigration Court

Immigration Judge James J. Miller Jr.

1998-2020: Chief assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Texas, Pecos Division, in Alpine, Texas
1994-1998: Senior Defense Counsel, Trial Defense Service, U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps
1990-1994: Attorney and prosecutor with the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps
Earned J.D. from Hamline University School of Law

New Judge for the Falls Church Immigration Adjudication Center

Immigration Judge Robert M. Lewandowski (December Investiture)

1986-2020: Judge advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps
2004-2020: Chief of staff, special assistant and senior advisor, for the U.S. Border Patrol, CBP, DHS, in the District of Columbia
1996-1994: Sector counsel for the Laredo, Texas Sector, U.S. Border Patrol, CBP, DHS
1989: Earned J.D. from the College of William and Mary

New Judge for the Fort Worth Immigration Adjudication Center

Immigration Judge Randall L. Fulke (October Investiture)

1990-2020: Assistant U.S. attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas
1988-2018: U.S. Army Reserve, Judge Advocate General’s Corps
1986-1990: Assistant district attorney for Lubbock and Midland Counties, in Texas
1984-1985: Private Practice
1984: Earned J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law

New Judge for the Harlingen Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Mark K. Brooks (December Investiture)

2019-2020: Special trial attorney, OPLA, ICE, DHS, in Arlington, Virginia, on detail from USCIS
2017-2020: Immigration officer, Fraud Detection National Security Directorate, USCIS, DHS.
2012-2016: Private practice
2005-2012: Attorney advisor, Office of Chief Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), DHS, in the District of Columbia
2001-2004: State prosecutor serving in Maryland
1986-2001: Private practice
1986: Earned J.D. from the Antioch School of Law

Two New Judges for the Houston Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Joshua D. Osbourn (October Investiture)

2016-2020: Assistant chief counsel, OCC, OPL, ICE, DHS, in Los Angeles (Adelanto)
2009-2016: Local prosecutor in Arizona
2008: Earned J.D. from the University of Kansas, School of Law

Immigration Judge Christopher M. Schumann (October Investiture)

2000-2020: Attorney and military judge with the U.S. Air Force
2005: Earned Master of Laws from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School
1999: Earned J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law

New Judge for the Houston — S. Gessner Road Immigration Court

Immigration Judge DeLana M. Jones (October Investiture)

2013-2020: Special assistant U.S. attorney and assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia
2010-2013: Law clerk for U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker, Northern District of Georgia, in Atlanta
2006-2010: Private practice
2006: Earned J.D. from Harvard Law School

New Judge for the Imperial Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Jeffrey V. Muñoz (December Investiture)

1995-2020: Active duty in the Marine Corps; including as a criminal defense attorney, prosecutor, general counsel, and military trial judge
2003: Earned J.D. from the University of Arizona College of Law

New Judge for the Los Angeles — Olive Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Wilbur Lee (October Investiture)

1998-2020: Judge advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps; including service as a military judge
2010: Earned Master of Laws from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School
1997: Earned J.D. from the Southwestern University School of Law

Seven New Immigration Judges for the Broadway — New York Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Erin L. Alexander (December Investiture)

2004-present: U.S. Navy in various active duty and reserve capacities, including as a judge advocate
2014-2020: Assistant district attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office (Manhattan)
2012-2014: Private Practice
2010: Earned J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center

Immigration Judge John P. Burns (December Investiture)

2016-2020: Assistant chief counsel, OPLA, ICE, DHS, in New York
2013-present: Officer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the New York Army National Guard
2010-2016: Attorney at the Social Security Administration
2009: Earned J.D. from Fordham University School of Law

Immigration Judge Edward P. Grogan (October Investiture)

2000-2020: Assistant U.S. attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York
1994-2020: U.S. army judge advocate general officer
1993: Private practice
1992: Earned J.D. from Albany Law School
1984-1988: Army infantry officer

Immigration Judge Dawn M. Kulick (December Investiture)

2016-2020: Assistant chief counsel, OPLA, ICE, DHS, in Miami and Philadelphia
2014-2016: Judicial law clerk for U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea M. Simonton, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Before 2014: Assistant state attorney in the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office; Private practice
2003: Earned J.D. from New York Law School
1993-2001: Worked in corporate world, including for a publishing house

Immigration Judge Shirley Lazare-Raphael (December Investiture)

2019-2020: Assistant chief counsel, OPLA, ICE, DHS, in New York
2001-2019: Private practice
2000: Earned J.D. from Brooklyn Law School

Immigration Judge Tanawa Lebreton (October Investiture)

2006-2020: Private practice in various positions; including 2017-2020 stint as practice group director with Inland Counties Legal Services, and 2008-2009 stint as staff attorney with Catholic Legal Services
2006: Earned J.D. from Ave Maria School of Law

Immigration Judge James R. McKee (October Investiture)

2018-2020: Chief, Foreign Law Branch, Department of Defense, in Germany and Florida
2016-2018: Served with the September 11^th Victim Compensation Fund, DOJ
2012: Earned Master of Laws from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School
1994-2016: U.S. Army judge advocate in multiple positions
1989-2013: Enlisted infantry soldier in the New York Army National Guard
1991-1993: Clerk for the 60^th Judicial District Court of Common Please, in Pike County, Pennsylvania
1991: Earned J.D. from the Syracuse University School of Law

New Judge for the New York — Federal Plaza Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Maria T. Ubarri (December Investiture)

2010-2020: State trial court judge in Puerto Rico
1995-2010: Private practice
1994-1995: Policy advisor to the Governor of Puerto Rico
1993: Legislative assistant for the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, U.S. House of Representatives
1991: Earned J.D. from the University of Puerto Rico Law School

Two New Judges for the New York — Varick Street Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Richard H. Drucker (December Investiture)

1981-2020: Private practice in Cleveland, Ohio
1981: Earned J.D. from Cleveland State University
Immigration Judge Thomas J. Mungoven (October Investiture)
2004-2020: Private practice; including 2004-2008 stint as staff attorney at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark Immigrant and Refugee Services Division
2004: Earned J.D. from Saint John’s University School of Law

Two New Judges for the Otay Mesa Immigration Court

Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Colleen M. Glaser-Allen (October Investiture)

2018-2020: Chief trial judge of the Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary
2016-2018: Served at the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals, including from 2017-2018 as chief appellate judge
1995-2020: Active duty judge advocate in the U.S. Navy-Marine Corps
2007: Earned Master of Laws from the George Washington University Law School
1995: Earned J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law at Urbana-Champaign

Immigration Judge Samantha L. Begovich (December Investiture)

1996-2020: Deputy district attorney for the Office of the District Attorney, San Diego, California
1994-1996: Trial attorney for the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, Department of Justice
1994: Special assistant U.S. attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia
1994: Earned J.D. from Stanford Law School

New Judge for the Otero Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Ralph E. Girvin Jr. (October Investiture)

2018-2020: Assistant chief counsel, OCC, OPLA, ICE, DHS in El Paso, Texas
2016-2018: Assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas
2000-2016: Assistant attorney and chief of the Civil and Criminal Divisions, for the County of El Paso, Texas
1996-1999: Assistant district attorney for the 34^th Judicial District of Texas
1995: Earned J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law
1986-1992: Served in the U.S. Army Reserve and Texas Army National Guard

New Judge for the Philadelphia Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Patrick J. Ehlers (October Investiture)

2015-2020: Assistant U.S. attorney in Portland, Oregon; also resident legal advisor for the DOJ’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development
1998-2015: Assistant federal public defender in Portland, Oregon and previously in various locations in Oklahoma
1996-1998: Public defender in Oklahoma
1995-1996: Judicial assistant to judge for the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals
1993-1995: Post-conviction defense counsel for the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System
1993: Earned J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law

New Judge for the Port Isabel Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Jefferson B. Brown (October Investiture)

1994-2020: Chief circuit trial judge, deputy circuit trial judge, appellate judge, trial judge, staff judge advocate, deputy staff judge advocate, appellate defense counsel, trial defense counsel, and prosecutor for the U.S. Air Force; retired with rank of colonel
1993: Earned J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School

New Judge for the San Antonio Immigration Court

Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Charles P. Koutras (October Investiture)

1997-present: Judge advocate for the U.S. Navy in active and reserve capacities
2006-2020: Attorney for U.S. Army South at Fort Sam Houston, Texas
2002-2004: Assistant city attorney for San Antonio, Texas
1997: Earned J.D. from St. Mary’s University

Two New Immigration Judges for the San Francisco Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Samuel Y. Kim (December Investiture)

2018-2020: Private practice in San Francisco, California
2014-2018: Assistant chief counsel, OPLA, ICE, DHS, in San Francisco, California
2013-2014: Private practice in San Francisco, California
2011-2013: Assistant chief counsel, OPLA, ICE, DHS, in Los Angeles, California
2006-2011: Active duty as a judge advocate for the Marine Corps Forces Reserve
2004-2005: Private practice
2004: Earned J.D. from Washington University in Saint Louis School of Law

Immigration Judge Jason R. Masterson (December Investiture)

2011-2020: Active duty judge advocate in the U.S. Navy
2011-2013: Prosecutor and special assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California
2010: Earned J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law
2009-2010: Cincinnati Prosecutor’s office
2008-2009: Fellow with the Ohio Innocence Project
2004-2007: Substance abuse and mental illness case manager for non-profit

New Judge for the Seattle Immigration Court

Immigration Judge Hayden Windrow

2020: Trial attorney, District Court Section, Office of Immigration Litigation, DOJ
2015-2020: Assistant chief counsel, OPLA, ICE, DHS, in New York
2005-2015: Judicial law clerk at multiple Article III Courts
2005: Earned J.D. from New York University School of Law