President Trump Nominates William Barr To Be Next Attorney General

On December 7, 2018, President Donald Trump announced that he will nominate William P. Barr to succeed Jeff Sessions as the Attorney General of the United States [PDF version].

Barr served as the 77th Attorney General of the United States during the administration of former President George H.W. Bush from November 26, 1991 to January 20, 1993. He had previously served as Deputy Attorney General for one year. Since his first stint as U.S. Attorney General, Barr has worked in private practice.

Over the coming weeks, we will examine Barr's record from his first service as Attorney General for an understanding of how he may handle immigration issues if he is ultimately confirmed for the position a second time. The position of Attorney General is important in the immigration context for a variety of reasons, including the fact that the immigration courts and Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) are part of the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the DOJ is responsible for defending the positions of the United States in federal court.

Matthew Whitaker will continue to serve as Acting Attorney General while Barr's nomination is pending before the United States Senate.