On August 7, 2020, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced the appointment of three appellate immigration judges to the Board of Immigration Appeals [PDF version]. Each of the three new appellate immigration judges was appointed by Attorney General William P. Barr. The appointments are significant in that the BIA is the highest administrative review body [link] for interpreting and applying the immigration laws. In this post, we will examine the resumes of the three new members of the BIA.

Michael P. Baird, Appellate Immigration Judge

2009-2020: Immigration judge on the Dallas Immigration Court (Texas) and later the Atlanta Immigration Court (Georgia).
2006-2009: Senior assistant district attorney in the Appalachian Judicial Circuit, in Georgia.
2004-2006: Judge in the Municipal Court of Jonesboro, Georgia.
1997-2004: Chief Judge for the Magistrate Court of Clayton County, Georgia.
1995-96; 92-93: Private Practice.
1993-1995: Senior assistant solicitor general at the Clayton County Solicitor’s Office.
1986-1990: Police officer.
Obtained Juris Doctorate in 1992 from Georgia State University College of Law.

Sunita B. Mahtabfar, Appellate Immigration Judge

2013-2020: Immigration Judge on the El Paso Immigration Court (Texas).
2006-2013: Attorney in the Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security, in El Paso, Texas.
2003-2006: Asylum officer in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security.
Obtained Juris Doctorate from Thurgood Marshall School of Law.

Sirce E. Owen, Appellate Immigration Judge

2019-2020: Acting deputy Director of EOIR.
2018-2020: Assistant Chief Immigration Judge, based in Atlanta.
2016-2018: Deputy chief counsel, Office of Chief Counsel, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Atlanta.
2008-2016: Assistant chief counsel, Office of Chief Counsel, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Atlanta.
2005-2008: Private practice.
Obtained Juris Doctor in 2005 from Georgia State University.