Five New Immigration Judges Sworn in on February 8, 2018

On February 8, 2018, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced the swearing in of five new immigration judges [PDF version]. The five new immigration judges, who will sit on five separate immigration courts (Elizabeth Immigration Court; Atlanta Immigration Court; Portland Immigration Court; San Francisco Immigration Court; and Adelanto Immigration Court), were appointed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The investiture ceremony for the new immigration judges was held on February 8, 2018. We will list the five new immigration judges with brief biographical information.

Angelo J. DiCamillo (Elizabeth Immigration Court)
Judge DiCamillo brings nearly 40 years of experience as a state judge to the Elizabeth Immigration Court. DiCamillo served as a judge for the New Jersey Superior Court, in Trenton, N.J. from 1993 to 2017. From 1979 to 1993, DiCamillo served as a municipal court judge for the State of New Jersey. He holds a law degree from Rutgers University.

John M. Gillies (Atlanta Immigration Court)
Most of Judge Gillies experience prior to joining the Atlanta Immigration Court came as a prosecutor. From 2005 through 2018, Gillies served in various capacities in the Department of Justice (DOJ). Much of his experience related to investigating and prosecuting narcotics crimes. He also served as an assistant U.S. Attorney in two district offices from 1998 through 2003. From 2003 through 2005, Gillies was chief legal counsel for former Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia. From 1991 to 1992, Gillies served as a law clerk for Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He holds a law degree from the University of Florida.

Mindy E. Hoeppner (Portland Immigration Court)
Judge Hoeppner brings experience from working in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to the Portland Immigration Court. From 2005 to 2017, Hoeppner served as assistant chief counsel for the Office of Chief Counsel (OCC), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), DHS in two different locations. Prior to her government service, she worked as an immigration defense attorney for several years. She holds a law degree from the University of Iowa.

Cory M. Picton (San Francisco Immigration Court)
Prior to beginning his tenure on the San Francisco Immigration Court, Judge Picton served as an assistant U.S. attorney for 10 years from 2008 to 2018. In addition to his experience as a federal prosecutor, Picton earlier worked as a civil law attorney for the U.S. Marine Corps for several years. He holds a law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law.

Nathaniel B. Walker (Adelanto Immigration Court)
Judge Walker has experience with both the DOJ and DHS. From 2014 to 2018, Walter served as an assistant U.S. attorney. From 2009 through 2014, he served as an assistant chief counsel for the Office of Chief Counsel, ICE, DHS. From 2002 to 2003, he was a law clerk for Judge Peter A. Nowinski of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. Walker holds a law degree from Boston College Law School.