DHS Secretary John Kelly Appoints Julie Kirchner as New CIS Ombudsman

On May 2, 2017, Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly announced the appointment of Julie Kirchner as the CIS Ombudsman [link]. The DHS press release explains that Kirchner until recently was an advisor to the Acting Commissioner of the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Kevin McAleenan [see blog]. Kirchner is an attorney who had previously served as the executive director of the Federation for Immigration Reform.

The CIS Ombudsman plays a vital role in “providing individual case assistance” and also makes recommendations to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) concerning how to improve administration. Kirchner has ample experience in immigration and promises to be an effective CIS Ombudsman.